Sleeping Orchids 2nd in 'Flower Saga'
by gal
Summary: A simple mission goes terribly wrong when Schwarz appears and Schuldich kidnaps Aya/Ran away for his own... 'purposes'. Will it break Weiß... or will it break Ran? Warning: violence, language, nonconsensual sex, angst.
1. Sleeping Orchids : Chapter One : Simplic...

Disclaimer: I do not own Weiß Kreuz. Other people own them. If I owned those four hot hunks (Well eight actually, Schwarz is pretty damn sexy too. And evil woooo! Crawford I think is especially sexy when he loosens his tie and takes off his glasses, like in the OAV. YUMYUM! Wait. No. Seven. Farfarello ain't hot! . Ew! But he does have nice arms. Ah, I digress), I would not be sitting at my computer writing about them. (I think we can agree that SZ ain't cute... Ew fart bags and OOLD!) I would be doing... more important things ^.~ I don't own them, I know I don't, so please dun sue me ok? Thanks and enjoy! 

Ok a few more notes. Schuldich is my favorite of Schwarz. Farfarello kicks some ass in this fic but... he is kinda more around for comic relief with all his 'Blahblah hurts God' comments. Please don't hate my Schwarz char representation ;_; 

Ran: And that is the fic. I do hope you enjoyed. Sayonara.

Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! Behave!

Omi: Aya-kun *sweatdrop*

Youji: Must we work with him?

Ken: *gives him the finger*

He's pissy. Read and you'll see why. Oh if you do not like um, nonconsensual yaoi... *points to the back button the browser* Ok yeah. AndRanisthebestWKcharacterever. Now enjoy!

Oh yeah, give credit where credit is due, Gal! Duh! About midway through his, one of my favorite writing partners took over writing for Ken and Youji because uh, well, writing for about eight characters and writing well for them is hard! Ana does a great job with the two little brats so give her a hand. *clap clap*

Really now, enjoy! ^.^

* * *

_... Perfection is impossible to achieve... And not for humans to touch ...  
- Fujimiya Ran_

**Sleeping Orchids  
Chapter One : Simplicity**

* * *

"Aya-kun?" 

Aya. Why ever did he choose to go by that name? The name of his sister... to live in her place. To kill those who took her life. To live on and hope that one day she will be able to awaken, and they could somewhat go back to how they once were. 

"Mou, Aya! Are you even listening to us? Aya!" Youji. Yes of course he was listening but in his eyes, the elder blonde did not seem to be saying anything of importance. The redhead wished he would just assume he had his attention and start talking about whatever it was the older male was pestering him about. Letting out a sigh, the redhead shook his head. He did hope these people would realize after how long they'd worked together that he never missed a detail or sound, especially not when directed at himself. 

Weiß Kreuz. The group he joined months after the explosion. He knew without a doubt it was one of them now calling his name -- his name, ha, rather his sister's -- but he just ignored them until they got to their point. They were used to it. The supposed leader of Weiß answered to no one and certainly not to them. As the three tapped their feet on the floor trying to get his attention, not realizing they had it or just annoyed he refused to acknowledge their presence, he just continued on with the floral arranging he was doing. Flower arranging assassins. Irony does have its fine points at time.

"Oi, Aya!" It was Ken's voice this time, those exuberant smooth tones calling to him as he placed in a fern frond for color with the white orchid arrangement. Orchids... 'Ran' orchids. More irony. They never understood why the stoic male insisted on arranging all of the orchid orders. The aroma of the delicate flower, the fragile fronds, they were calming to him, bringing back good distant memories of long past, memories that he may never be able to return to. Symbolic really, odd that it was his true name. They would probably laugh if they ever knew that such a rare beautiful flower was also his real name. When people looked at him, they hardly thought of him as fragile. Icy, sarcastic, nihilistic, ruthless, sharp, but delicate? Never. 

"AYA!" Ah, now all three voices joined together to try to get his attention. It must be something urgent. It best be a mission or something not trivial like most times. And if they dare comment on his flower arranging skills one more time... 

"I heard each and every one of you the first times you spoke to me. What is it." The deep tones of Abyssinian were cold and flat when he finally answered, betraying nothing of the distant thoughts on the past they knew almost nothing of. 

"Manx is here, Aya-kun," the youngest of the assassin quartet said, giving Aya that bright smile of innocence and laughter. "With a tape."

"I figured as much. Why are all of you still up here? Get down to the basement!" Finishing up the arrangement he was working on, he watched as they closed up the shoppe but then just headed into the back room, hanging the apron he'd been wearing on a hook before going down to the mission room to listen to get the details of Weiß's latest mission. 

It seemed simple enough the crimson haired blade expert observed as he took his usual spot leaning against the wall, not saying a thing, only giving a nod to woman with the crimped red hair. Manx... they did not know it but she had known him for a long time now, ever since he first joined Kritiker but before being sent to Weiß. Neither of them ever made mention of this fact, those days being lost past and frankly, as it was with most things, it was no one else's business. 

The latest mission. Break into a warehouse holding a personality-changing drug, obtain files on the main distributors of the narcotic, and then blow the factory up. The time was set for midnight that night when there would be as few as possible workers to interfere with their work. Bombay was of course to hack into the central computer in the upper levels of the building, where offices were, and Abyssinian to stand guard until the download is complete. Siberian and Balinese were to set the charges in and around the building, all perfectly timed to go off at a press of a button once they are all out. 

Simple enough. But nothing is ever simple.

* * *

"What is it, Braddy-bear?" The question was asked across town in a heavy German accent.

In the SZ compound, the four former bodyguards of Takatori Reiji were gathered in the space room. Nagi sat in a corner typing at his computer, testing his perfect hacking skills by slipping into a large corporation's mainframe, changing around a few files, and then slipping out still undetected. A tiny smile of satisfaction touched his face before disappearing once more. This was not to be enjoyed this was just work. Farfarello was perched on a table on the far side of the room, swaying lightly back and forth on his heels as he licked away on the blade of one of his many daggers.

"Computers hurt God," the psychotic Irishman said with a firm nod, his single golden eye glinting with great wisdom in these matters. 

"Yes of course they do, Farfarello," Nagi sweatdropped lightly as he opened up a chat room, his practice done for the moment. 

"Chat rooms hurt God too." The sentence was punctuated by the eye-patched man stabbing the blade of his knife into the table, spelling out 'God' in little pokes before slashing at it.

"Big B! I'm bored, what are you thinking about?" Schuldich pressed on, wiggling lightly. The German was situated as he was most times in Crawford's lap, his arms draped over his shoulders as he got comfortable in his little American male 'chair'. 

"Be quiet, all three of you! You make it impossible for a precog to properly focus." Sliding off his glasses, the tall dark haired man pushed the telepath from his lap and stood up. Every day, honestly. He was beginning to think that he needed to hand a dictionary to Schuldich and show him that beside the entry of 'chair' there was **not** a picture of himself. "I just had a vision."

"Mmmmm did it include you, me, lots of scented oils, maybe some leather and--"

"Weiß has a mission tonight. We need to be there... it could prove very fortunate for us if we are to do so."

Emerald green eyes flashed mischievously even though Crawford brushed off his little yaoi fantasy description. Schuldich got up and nodded lightly, a soft purr of anticipation in his throat. Weiß. That would mean the little orchid would be there. It had been so long since he had seen that icy man with the crimson red hair face to face. It was no secret that the German had a libido that would put a teenage on ecstasy to shame... what some did not know was that he also harbored little fantasies about the leader of Weiß. It was those eyes... or maybe the way he wielded that long blade... or perhaps the way he seemed resistant to everything sexual. There was either a hard block of ice in that man -- as it seemed was in Crawford -- and he was indeed asexual, or there was a great deal of animalistic untapped passion, waiting for the right man to come along and rein it in and tame it.

Schuldich was hoping for the latter. 

"Ja, we should go get ready! You know I'm always up for playing with the kitties. I just have to find my catnip..."

"Catnip makes God scream." 

* * *

"How goes the file transfer, Bombay, Abyssinian?" Ken's voice crackled over the mic set as Omi and Aya were positioned in the main office, the sound of his fingers flying over the keyboard filling the room. Hard violet eyes glanced down to see the progress Omi was making. 

"It goes well, Siberian. Hardly any interference." Omi's voice was soft and chirpy and Aya sighed lightly, shaking his head. 

"Don't worry about our work, we easily have it under control, Siberian, worry about your own so you don't fuck it up. Are all the charges set and ready to go off at the right signal?" came the snap back at the clawed assassin, watching the doorway to see if anyone entered 

"Oi oi, Abyssinian, calm down. What's wrong? We know you're a prick but usually you don't lash out with full bastard mode unless one of us is down. Some bug crawl up your ass you need me to fish out?" Youji's caramel voice came over the mic set and Aya rolled his eyes, seeing in his mind's eye his eyes narrowing in frustration at his behavior, those emerald irises glinting behind his sunglasses. 

But he was right. Their leader was on edge and really didn't know why. Something about this mission seemed off, like they were missing something, not seeing the apple about to fall on their heads and they were certainly not to discover gravity. It would be a tiny thing they dismiss and then the sky will fall. 

_//Nothing is wrong.//_

"Nothing is wrong."

Did Aya just say that? The sharp tones were heard in his mind but everything's wrong, at least that's what his instincts were telling him. And his instincts never lie about things like this, ever. His own gut feelings were trusted more than his own teammates. A theory he'd always had. You only have your self to rely on. If you don't trust your own gut feeling, you're in for a lot of trouble. 

"Aya... don't lie, it's not becoming of you. What's up?"

"Siberian, I have already spoken on this once, do not make me repeat myself unnecessarily because you were not paying attention. Everything is well on our end. Answer my question. Are the explosives set to go so this mission will be completed as Persia ordered it to be?" 

"Yes sir, Major Asshole, Sir!" Ken mock saluted even though he knew Aya was in a completely different part of the building. Looking over to Youji who was just shaking his head at the pair's verbal spar, the former soccer player gave a light shrug. He was currently thinking behind those pretty blue eyes of his that maybe Aya-kun needed a nice little reminder of how the tiger reacted when he threatened him and acted like the huge ball of ice he currently was. Like he had 'welcomed' the man to Weiß after his little bastardly show on the rooftop years ago. 

"I don't need your sarcasm, Siberian. Just get the mission done. It is a simple one. Hopefully even you can handle such." 

Ken seethed quietly, his hand clenching into a fist to pop out the blades of his Bugnuk in a quick easy rhythm, the only thing he could do to keep from punching the wall nearby or going in to find Aya and pull him off to a rooftop to continue that duel. Their supposed leader had been acting on edge all night and wouldn't for the life of anyone tell what was up. Yes it was a supposed simple mission but he too knew that nothing was simple. It was sometimes the easiest ones you needed your guard up the most. "Here's hoping that the next mission doesn't have us acting like human beings, that'll be your official first mission failure." 

Omi and Youji both shared mirrored sweatdrops, even from opposite sides of the building. The fast flying of keys suddenly slowed and then came to a full halt, the disk popping out from the drive seconds after. "Siberian, Abyssinian, Balinese. Everyone calm down, ne, onegai?" he pleaded sweetly, looking up at Aya who still stood nearby, his sapphire eyes shining. "The download is complete. All we need to do is get out and press a button and bingo mission done, ne?" 

_//You should know it is never that easy, Liebechen.// _

The nasally words with the thick German accent sounded in both Omi and Aya's minds and they both turned towards the open doorway, seeing a flash of orange red hair, emerald eyes, a cocky smirk as always on a handsome face. The pair glanced at each other, recognizing the male automatically even in the pale light. 

"Balinese, Siberian! It's--" Omi started to cry out a warning to the others but the mic set was ripped from his ear and hurled by an invisible hand across the room. He gasped softly and pulled out a few darts to hold in his fingers, glancing over. In a window sat the dark haired form of the telekinetic, hand extended out and fingers curled into a fist. Nagi had a tiny smirk on his lips but it soon faded his face impassive as it was most times. This was just a mission, an incredibly easy one at that. 

"It would appear that Crawford's prediction rang true," the young boy said with little emotion, his deep blue gaze looking over to Schuldich. His hand stayed extended out, watching the pair closely should they make any move towards harming either of the two members of Schwarz. The cruel smirk of victory touched his lips once more. The dart and katana boys versus a telepath and telekinetic. Did Weiß even stand a chance? 

* * *

"--Schwarz!" the two finished up even as Omi's line went dead, the mic striking the wall only to be fully crushed by Nagi's telekinetic hand. Youji and Ken started to turn to go inside to aid their two teammates but stopped in their dead tracks, seeing the other two Schwarz members. Crawford and Farfarello stood in the doorway to the building. 

"One kitten, two kitten... wherever could the other two be?" the Irishman said with a slow smile, the grin of a madman who knew he had victory in his hands that he could do with as he pleased. What type of victory Weiß was not certain of. 

"Where they should be," Crawford answered in cold voice. A gun was in his hand as most always and it was quickly leveled at the area between the blonde's eyes. "And you do not need to be there." He watched the pair closely, the cold smile never leaving his lips. 

"Bastards! You of all people don't tell us where we need and don't need to be!" Youji cursed and pulled the wire from his watch, sending out a long string of it towards Crawford's hand even as he smirked coldly at him. The wire lashed about his wrist and Youji ducked down as the gun was fired, wincing as the bullet clipped across his shoulder. Sneering, he eyed the American precog over his ever present sunglasses and yanked hard on the wire, with nearly enough pressure to rip the man's hand off. 

"Fools. Do you really think you will win today?" Farfarello looked up from where he was running his tongue along the blade of his sword, the sharp thin edge fully extended out with a sharp snap. His single amber eye fell on Ken who had fallen into a defensive stance, Bugnuk fully snapped out and in front of him. He stood and took a step forward, moving slowly with an almost drunken stagger before he suddenly leapt into action towards the clawed white assassin, his only warning being the loud almost Xena-like war cry shrieking through the air. 

"It isn't about winning or losing..." A sharp hiss cut through the air after the psycho of Schwarz leapt at Ken, the clawed assassin barely able to catch the thin blade in the prongs of his glove. "It's about getting our teammates the hell away from you!" 

"You are actually going to try to tell us that you give a damn about their well fare?" Crawford let out a cold laugh at that. A thin line of blood appeared on his wrist, getting a scowl from him as it stained the cuff of the cream colored Armani suit. The gun was still in his hand and he tilted it carefully, firing again to snap the wire holding him with a single bullet. "Fools. We just listened to you, Siberian, thoroughly telling off your leader. Such noisy flies... you always have been. Saying such things when anyone could be listening." 

"That's really none of your business!" Ken called back, a touch of anger edging on his deep voice usually full of laughter. His teeth grit as he managed to shove Farfarello back and swipe out with his claws, making five thin lines of blood appear across his cheek. The two were well matched for brute strength, but Farfarello had the element of surprise on him that time. 

"I believe it just became our business," Farfarello drawled back, running a finger down his cheek to just lick the crimson fluid running down his face from his fingertip. "Hmm... little kitten has claws that hurt God. I think I will let him live today Crawford." 

"I just hurt God? Hope he has a better plastic surgeon than Schoen." 

As Farfarello and Siberian dueled, Crawford was getting ready to move into action. His eyes watched Youji carefully, even taking the time to remove his glasses and place them into a case, which was then slid into his pocket. Couldn't have those harmed by Weiß. One hand moved up to loosen his tie, frowning as he noted the crimson on his neatly pressed cream shirt. Balinese was going to pay for that little move. 

His hand curled into a tight fist and he tossed his coat to the side as one may throw their jacket off, and then he was flying across the small distance separating him from the oldest of Weiß. Youji cursed and tried to whip out his wire once more, but the hard punch struck him on the jaw, throwing him back to the ground from the force. As he stumbled down, a small pen like device fell from his grasp and slid across the pavement to rest near Farfarello's shoe. 

"Well well well... did the little kitten drop his cat nip?" he said and leaned down, picking up the detonator to the bombs the pair had just set around the building to bring most of it down to the ground. The man let his single golden eye rest on Youji, tracing his finger along the red button on the tip of the detonator. 

Well here I thought Ken was the clumsy one of Weiß. Guess not. Youji just dropped the detonator to the building that Aya and Omi were still in right into the madman's hands! 

"Look what I found, Crawford. One of Weiß's little toys." With a dark glint in his eyes, he took out his sword again to make light jabbing motions on the button, amazingly not pressing it down hard enough to kick it into effects. 

"Very good Farfarello. I knew you still had your one good eye." Still keeping his gun aimed at Youji, he tilted his head and looked over at Farfarello playing 'How hard can I press the button before things go booom'. A flash of the future soon to come went through his mind, showing the building exploding... with Schuldich, Nagi, Aya, and Omi still in. 

Ken stopped dead as Farfarello toyed with the detonator. He sent a scowl toward Youji who just shrugged helplessly as if there was nothing he could have done to prevent it. Ken rolled his eyes and resheathed his claws and stepped back as he held his hands up in a gesture of truce. 

Following Ken's lead Youji snapped his wire free and recoiled it within his wrist and stepped back. "I think we need to negotiate here."

"Balinese!"

"Siberian. They've got... the lives of their teammates and ours in the hands of a loon. Let me fuckin' handle this."

"But..."

"SHUT IT!" Youji snapped loudly at Ken then turned his attention back to Crawford. "I say we make a deal here. Give us the button and we'll let'cha guys out without a fight."

"YOUJI!!"

"SHUT UP Ken!! Do we have a deal?"

* * *

Aya let out a short gasp of air, the only audible sound of the extreme pain he was in. His legs went out from under him and he dropped to the floor, still holding tight to the katana blade in his hand. Violet blue eyes iced with hatred looked over to see how Omi was still faring against Nagi. 

Not well. 

"How long do you think it will take for me to crush every genki bone in his body, Schuldich?" the boy asked as he sent another blast of power to slam Omi against the wall. The fluffy haired boy let out a whimper of pain, his hand straining to reach to a dart in his jacket but Nagi just smirked and held his hand out once more. The hacker's index finger was slowly bent back to dangerous bone-breaking angles, a loud scream echoing in the room. 

"Aya-kun..." he whispered as he was pushed harder against the wall, feeling the pressure loosen in that finger, the bone still whole. He just screamed again and again as Nagi did the same to each finger on both hands, threatening to hinder the able hacker's main ability. Hard to type and throw darts with your fingers smashed. 

"Stop..." The whispered word was barely audible in the room, said even as Aya rose back to his feet. He sent a hard glare Schuldich's way, sensing that for some reason the German was calling the shots this evening. The fight overall had not been going well. Omi had been thrown into a wall time and time again right after Nagi had spoken of Crawford's vision. The genki boy never even had a chance to speak just cry out in extreme pain. The only other sound was the sure snapping of bones. Aya was certain his teammate had more than a few cracked ribs if not worse. He himself hadn't spoken a word, just drawn his sword and rushed at the telepath. Though he had wanted to try to take out the boy attacking Omi, he knew he would not have a chance to even get near the telekinetic. 

So instead he had taken on the telepath who seemed to have made him his opponent for the evening. Every time he would move in for a strike, his blade cutting easily through the air with a vicious glint to its edge, Schuldich would use his damned speed to avoid the lethal slash of the katana. On attacks he couldn't easily avoid, he would launch his own, opening up the floodgates to the voices he heard all day every day and sending them blaring in surround sound into Aya's head, a cacophony of murmuring, screaming, whispering, whimpering, crying, yelling, all blended and meshed together that made him falter and drop to his knees. Schuldich's arms were covered in thin slices from when he had been hurt by the katana, but hardly anything fatal. As for the red haired man's injuries from the face off, he just had a killer migraine that made his temples throb and his vision blur. 

He knew that he should have called off this mission the second he felt something wrong. But all evening he had a tiny voice in the back of his head telling him it was all right. At least now he knew why. Damned telepaths all needed to die. Especially one sadistic red haired German telepath. 

"What do you want..." he said after long moments of silence, his amethyst gaze never leaving Schuldich's emerald. 

_//What do I want... The same thing most men want. The same thing I think **you want.//**_ A low chuckle filled the room as Schuldich siphoned out the voices he kept screaming in Aya's head, giving him a moment of blissful silence, a quiet Schuldich only heard near Bradley Crawford. He continued laughing softly as he then sent a mental image to Aya's mind and Aya alone, a yaoi fantasy that kept him awake many nights. The sounds of moans and cries filled the katana expert's mind now instead of the screaming, but this may have been even worse than the latter. The scent of sweat and sex seemed to nearly flow around Aya going with the image of Aya naked and tied to a bed, spread eagle on his stomach. His pale skin glowed almost like an angel's halo around him in the moonlight streaming into the room, the lithe muscles straining under the flesh as he twisted and tried to writhe away from the other on the bed. He was screaming out in pain and protest even while his body bucked up against Schuldich's own crouched over him, the motions being nothing but hard merciless fucking. Raping. 

_//That is what I want. Looks fun ja Liebechen?// _

"You're sick..." Aya whispered but any other words he had to say were drowned out by a sudden strangled sound. He winced and looked over to see Omi being dropped to the floor, the great amounts of pressure being to his throat to cut off air quickly. 

"Aya... kun..." he managed to gasp out, his lips parting to try to suck in long breaths but not able to. His body slumped against the floor, his face changing to an unhealthy shade of blue. 

"I said stop!" 

Damn that chuckle. Every single word that was said just seemed to bring about another bout of laughter. Schuldich leaned casually against the doorframe, staring down at Omi who was growing dreadfully still. _//He is still alive. For now. So what is it going to be, orchid? The death of your teammate or the death of your spirit my bed? Choice is fully yours, Abyssinian.//_

"You act as if I have a choice..." Aya looked down and over at Omi, the lips that usually grinned despite everything twisted into an expression of pain. One that would stay on his pretty face even in death. He sighed faintly. If they killed Omi he was even more greatly outnumbered, and the telekinetic's attentions would turn to him. But who was to say if they took him they wouldn't kill Omi anyway? 

Hearing another struggled gasp from the blonde, he gasped himself and looked over, seeing his face return slowly to its normal cream shade instead of the pale white it had been turning. Aya's pale purple eyes slid shut just after seeing Omi's sapphire eyes open, not wanting to see the pain in those irises that Omi showed the world too easily. 

"Aya-kun, get ... safe. I'll be fine. Like always..." He smiled weakly only to give another cry of upset as Nagi threw him against a nearby wall. The boy's eyes rolled back in his head as he finally lost consciousness from the numerous strikes and the lack of air. 

_//Make your choice, orchid. I don't like a hesitant lover. I can let you watch as Nagi kills him. Mein Gott(1*), I can even let you decide how he dies!//_ Pale pink lips widened to a grin over ivory teeth as Schuldich sent mental images to Aya. Omi being thrown against a wall until his body was merely mush, every single bone broken. Strangled to death by an invisible hand. Having his bones ripped from his very body. Or, Schuldich's very favorite, using Aya's own katana and making Omi think it was his leader who thrust it through his heart, a cold malicious grin on his lips the entire time. _//Make. Your. Choice.//_

The katana dropped to the floor and Aya slid it away with a heavily booted foot, his visual surrender. "Just leave Bombay alone and alive." 

_//How ever could I refuse such a valiant request from you, orchid.//_ Grinning the German gave a long look to the taller male, licking his lips as he looked at him. He squirmed a bit while standing there, feeling himself aroused at the mere thoughts of finally being able to touch those mile long legs, stroke that crimson hair, melt and shatter that wall of ice around him with the fires of passion. He blinked as he noted Aya removing his trench coat slowly. 

_//Nein, Meine wunderschöne Orchidee.(2*)//_ Focusing his telepathy, he let loose a hard hit to Aya, enough to knock him unconscious but not fatal. The grin grew over his lips as he watched the man wince in pain and slump to the floor, his eyes rolling back in his head as his vision blurred and went black. He would have one hell of a migraine even worse than his current headache when he woke up, but no fatal harm was done to him. 

The last sounds he heard was Schuldich's laughing and the German's words echoing through his mind. _//Not here. I intend to have my fun with you, for a long long time.//_

* * *

"Deals... they would make a deal with the devil?" Farfarello paused in his button pressing, tapping the tip of the sword against his cheek instead. He looked over to Crawford, both faintly amused at the pair's arguing. 

"Apparently so." Reaching over, he took the detonator from the madman poking at it, knowing he wouldn't slip but not wanting to risk it. Crawford tossed a slow glance over to the building before looking back to Weiß. His emotionless eyes stared at them even as he sought out Schuldich. 

_//Status, Mastermind. It should not be taking this long. The kittens are getting restless and you may have them trying to run in and save their teammates.////Hard to save someone who's no longer in the building, Big B.//_

_//Prodigy and yourself are safe?//_

_//Awwww you do care! Ja ja, Brad-leeee, we're out and safe.//_

_//Both Abyssinian and Bombay have been neutralized?//_

_//Brad, I know what I'm doing. Ja! I've got Abyssi slung over my shoulder and the fluffy boy is currently passed out in the main office. Naggles had some fun with him. Alive. Both alive. Just out for the night.//_

_//Good. We will see you back at base with the retrieved leader of Weiß and the white assassins shall never see him again.//_

* * *

Schuldich blinked as he dropped Aya into his red convertible with little care. They were on the other side of the building from where the rest of Weiß and Schwarz were. Looking down at Aya, he brushed a crimson bang from his face. The moonlight streamed down on them, only seeming to intensify the ivory purity of his skin. Moving over him, his hands moved over the jacket to pull it off and laid the retrieved katana in the backseat with it and just stared at the man in his tight leather pants and short sleeve shirt. The black garments clung tightly to his well-muscled form, his lean torso and slender waist, his long legs that just seemed to go on forever. Moving his eyes from inspecting his new toy's body, he looked back to his face. Pure hard marble, like an ancient statue of a god myths are told of. The kind of cold untouchable beauty that threatened if you drew too close it could kill you. A haunting beauty that you still drew near, unable to stop yourself. If you can just touch it once, the katana through your midsection as punishment would be well worth it just to have the memory of that lily soft skin under your fingers. Schuldich continued staring, enjoying the time he could stare at him without interruption. The bright red strands contrasting like blood on new fallen snow. He wished for a moment that the man's deep violet eyes were open, even though they'd be glaring at him in hatred and distrust. He hoped the next few days would change that. If he was still resistant, then he'd let Crawford kill him. 

But until then... or until Weiß came to retrieve their leader... he was his. 

_//Slight change of plans, Crawford. You said it would be very fortunate for us if we were to come here today. I have better plans than to just interrogate and kill the ruby haired man. You and I both know he won't break, and you and I both know killing him will just put Weiß after us with a vengeance.//_ Waving bye bye to Nagi after telling him to go around to where Crawford and Farfarello, Schuldich gunned the engine of the car and pulled away into the night. _//I have better plans for Abyssinian, Crawford. See you in a few days.// _

A slight crackle fizzed over the telepathic connection between the two and then it completely cut off, leaving Crawford's mind as silent as it usually was. 

* * *

 Uttering a tiny curse under his breath before recomposing himself. The visions of the future certainly had not shown him **that** coming. The troubles with visions just coming to him, not being able to see all events that may spring forth at will. Crawford looked to the two before tossing the detonator pen their way without a word. Giving a short snap to Farfarello, he turned to head back to the car off a few yards. 

"Oh... Weiß?" he asked as he opened the door, his jacket slung over his shoulder. As he turned back to face the pair, a small form came from around the building to the car, Nagi coming as silently as the night that stole around them. The young assassin slid into the backseat of the black BMW, nodding lightly to his leader and teammate. 

A picture perfect expression or malice and hate was visible in Ken's face. He looked about ready kill the two and now three members of their team. He easily and carefully caught the detonator and slid it into his jacket. "Get the fuck out of my face."

"Siberian."

"Shut the hell up, Balinese."

"Ignore him. He doesn't know how men such as ourselves conduct business. What is it you wish to say."

"So help me God if you..."

Youji held a hand up to Ken in an order of silence as he turned his attention back to Crawford. The simple motion pissing Ken off to no end. Had Youji looked at Ken the look he was getting said that he'd better get ready for an ass kicking when Schwarz left.

"You two are mildly amusing." As Youji held up his hand, Crawford pulled something from his pocket. There was a reason that Schwarz had waited so long to appear before Weiß though they'd known exactly where they were during the duration of the mission. 

Nagi reached out with his hand to Crawford's, holding the detonator pen in between his small fingers. While Weiß had been bickering back and forth, they had been setting explosives of their own about the building. "God will hurt tonight, Farfarello. Such a genki boy being caught in an exploding building usually does that to a purity loving deity." 

"Boom," Farfarello cried out as the young boy pressed the detonator trigger. As the building started to rupture and explode, Ken and Youji a safe distance away from the blast, Crawford gunned the engine to peel the car out, leaving the tire tracks and a cloud of dust behind them. 

As the car peeled away, Ken's fist suddenly connected with Youji's face. "You fucking moronic idiot! This is your goddamn fault. If they're..." He sent a swift kick to Youji's gut as he took off in a full run toward the burning building not giving a damn if he was killed. All he wanted to do was see for himself if his teammates were in there. So what if the building was falling around him from the detonation. He was Ken Hidaka. He was Weiß. He was invincible. 

Idiot. Spitting out a wad of blood from his mouth, Youji pushed himself to his feet and ran after Ken. Just as he was only feet away from the still exploding building Youji's wire lashed out suddenly and wrapped itself about Ken's ankles. Youji sent a sharp tug and yanked Ken's feet from under him sending the reckless assassin face first into the heated dirt. He dragged the screaming youth who had dug his Bugnuk into the dirt trying to escape Youji's grasp. 

"LET ME THE FUCK GO, KUDOU!" 

"Why so you can die too?" 

"Yes!" 

"Not so fast kiddo. What's your death gonna prove? Nothing. Quit acting like an imbecile and think." 

"What the fuck is the point if he's dead!" 

"Well well well..." 

"Don't fucking start Kudou. Let up on the damn wire now, or I'll kill you." 

"You think you can get me from down there?" 

"You feel like testing that out?" 

"Idiot. Three Schwarz left! Crawford wouldn'ta ditched Schuldich if he wasn't sure he was out of the building. Nagi **and** Schuldich set the bombs." 

Ken blinked and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Youji. "You think Schuldich has them?" 

"I'd bet my life on it."

"It's a bet." 

Now Youji blinked. "Excuse me?" 

"If Mastermind has them you live. If they're dead. So are you. Fair bet I'd say." 

"You're insane Hidaka." 

"So I've been told."

* * *

Schuldich rubbed his fingers to his temples, looking over at the still unconscious Abyssinian. "_Mein Gott_ but your teammates think loudly." He sighed and sent his mind out to slide over each of Weiß's tentatively, a slight calming brush being the only thing they would notice before he left their minds. The angered thoughts of near suicide and pain in Ken's just hurt, he really thought that man needed anger management classes. Youji's was a nice comfort after Ken's, a frenzied panic of worry carefully concealed by strong calm. Someone had to hold back the tiger. Omi was the last he touched on and he nodded to still find him alive. 

He had been certain the boy would be, especially after he had Nagi pull him from the building and place him by a tree out of the blast range. A deal was a deal... Aya had said to leave the boy alone and alive, and he had. Also the little dirty blonde haired assassin was just too much fun to play with to just let him die in an explosion. 

"Time to go, orchid, before Schwarz or Weiß finds us. We'll have fun." A grin pulled at his full lips as he drove off in the opposite direction that Schwarz had gone, headed to an old prison SZ had owned years ago. He'd had Nagi search it out and then ruin all records of SZ ever owning it. Then to keep the boy safe from when he was sure Crawford would ask him where Schuldich had taken the leader of Weiß, he had simply and carefully erased the memories of doing so while the boy slept. 

The red car disappeared into the night with the fires of the explosion casting an eerie glow into the night sky. 

"So very much fun." 

(1*) My God  
(2*) No, my beautiful orchid


	2. Sleeping Orchids : Chapter Two : Dawn

**Sleeping Orchids  
Chapter Two : Dawn**

* * *

The fires of the explosion burned on for hours as the daylight approached, the suns rays slowly casting over the horizon. As the day dawned, sapphire eyes slowly fluttered open as Omi winced in pain as he tried to stretch. "Nani... wh-- what happened..." he whispered as he looked around, gasping to see the embers of the building nearby. "Aya-kun--!" he said with a short yelp, memories of the mission gone horribly wrong slowly coming back. He started to get to his feet to rush closer to the debris but fell back to his knees, every muscle and bone and limb in his body aching from Nagi's repeated attacks. 

"Schwarz..." he said as he spit onto the ground, holding himself up with shaking arms. There was the coppery taste of blood in his mouth but he didn't care. Sitting back on the ground with a light whine, he ran a hand through his cornsilk hair, just staring at the remnants of the building in mild shock. "Ken-kun, Youji-kun... Aya-kun. What happened... where are they..." 

* * *

Youji and Ken had sat on the hood of Youji's roadster watching the building burn down to fallen timbers and smoldering ashes. They'd sat together in silence. Ken watching what seemed to be his life burning away and Youji watching Ken anxiety and brotherly worry in his gaze.

"Come on." 

"Huh?" 

"Snap out of it Ken. I need you." 

"So." 

A swift backhand was sent across Ken's cheek. "Fucking stop it." 

Hopping off the car Ken stalked off toward the building. "Fine." A bet was a bet. Youji would die if Aya and Omi were dead. He was going to keep his end of the bet and work with Youji. He was angry and pissed and hurting violently. 

Youji had never seen Ken like this. He was sullen, volatile, brooding. Since when had the charmer become Aya. He sighed and stomped out his last cigarette. He made a mental note to buy a carton when they got back in to town. It was going to be a long couple of days he could tell. Pushing off the car he followed Ken to the remains of the building. 

* * *

Solemn blue eyes colored with pain continued looking over the fallen building, the boy leaning against a tree to keep standing. Omi had been able to somewhat access his situation. He definitely had a few cracked ribs but he was more bruised and tired than anything. It still hurt like hell even though his injuries weren't fatal. His thoughts were more on his teammates. The building had exploded... Ken and Youji wouldn't have detonated with half of the team still in the building. Schwarz... had Schwarz taken them? Why was he left? Hell, why had he been moved outside the building? 

His gaze looked over the embers, wondering how he was not lying dead and burned there. As he watched the smoking timbers, he perked up, seeing a flash of orange. On seeing it he shivered, remembering Schuldich... and the odd conversation Aya had with him, or half of a conversation, he'd been able to pick up even while being smashed into a wall. A light sigh of relief touched his lips as he noted it for what it was. The ever-present orange dress shirt tied about Ken's waist. 

"Ken-kun! Youji-kun!" he cried out, stumbling forward and ignoring his own aches and pains at the motions. He had to make sure they were all right. Maybe they knew where Aya was. Still in his hand he clutched the disk of information he'd gathered for the mission from the factory computers. 

Youji ran ahead first with Ken trailing quickly behind him. "Omi!" Kneeling to the youth, with a gentle hand, he checked the boy for external abrasions. Mostly soot as far as he could tell. "Are you all right? What happened?"

"Okay... so only half of you gets to die. I'll be nice and let you decide which half." Turning his attention to Omi, Ken's face was as impassive as ever, far from the youthful spirited countenance he usually wore. His voice dripped with icy shards as cold as the Antarctic. "Where's Aya?"

"Youji-kun!" Omi winced lightly as Youji's hand touched over his abdomen, even with the tender touch it pressed down on his injured ribs. As he saw the concern in his deep green eyes he just shook his head, giving him the best genki bright smile he could muster up. "I'm all right. A short trip to the hospital may be in order after the mission reports are sent in." Ken's entire stance and tone surprised him and he blinked over at him, biting his lip in light worry over his teammate. 

"I was hoping you'd know... We were in the office when Schuldich and Nagi suddenly interrupted us. The telekinetic threw me against the wall a few times so I'm afraid my memory isn't as good as it should be..." His teeth continued to nibble lightly on his rosebud lips, his fingers rubbing over his temples in small circles to soothe away his headache. "Aya-kun went up against Schuldich but... he couldn't get a strike in and seemed more concerned with my well fare. He kept asking them to stop and..." He shook his head and then brushed the tousled and sooty strands from his face. "I think Schuldich was using his telepathy to talk to him, he said something about having no choice and him being sick and then... I told Aya-kun to get somewhere safe and that was it for me." 

His bright gaze looked over at the two, reaching out his hand to Ken to clasp his fingers between his, being careful of the Bugnuk mechanism but not much caring right now. "We'll get him back, Ken-kun. So... Schwarz must have him? Why just him..." 

* * *

_//Wach auf, meine wunderschöne Orchidee.//(3*)_

The first thing that Aya felt as he slowly woke to the world was the extreme pain of a headache from when Schuldich struck him down with telepathy. It throbbed through his temples, the only thing he was really able to hear being the hard rush of blood, the nasally sound of Schuldich's voice barely registering. He slowly turned his head, trying to stretch his limbs but found he could barely move them. Violet eyes slowly slid open, wincing slightly at the bright light in the room. Aya let out a tiny groan of discomfort, closing his eyes once more. 

_//You have a headache, don't you. I can get you Advil if you ask nicely.// _

"Get the hell out of my head, German..." he slurred out, opening his eyes once more to focus on the man sitting on top of him. Aya was tied as he had been in the mental image except he was on his back rather than his stomach, complete with Schuldich sitting on his midsection. As Aya's lips opened to speak, Schuldich leaned forward to cover his lips with his own, his tongue forcing his way into the man's mouth to lick and thrust the smooth pink muscle into the sweetness lying under him. 

Schuldich groaned lightly as he tasted the man's kiss, as moist and fresh as he'd ever imagined it to be. His tongue continued delving deeper while he let his hands roam over the body lying under him. Before tying the redhead to the bed he'd removed all of his clothes, tossing them carelessly into a corner. Another groan rumbled in his throat as one hand encountered the flaccid pale organ lying between Aya's legs and he settled his body down between his slender thighs, rubbing against him. 

_//I'd much rather have my head elsewhere, Liebechen...// He purred seductively as he parted the kiss, just staring deep into the other male's eyes. He noted that Aya had gone completely still, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling as soon as he realized where he was despite the man's expert but hard touches. Frowning lightly at that, he dipped his head back down for another rough kiss._

Only to yelp shortly as he felt a piercing in his sensitive tongue. He cursed loud and fluently in a long string of Japanese, German, and English as a small trickle of blood ran down his chin from where Aya had bit into his tongue while it had been pushing past his firm lips. 

A slender hand raised and flew to crack across Aya's face, leaving a bright red mark on his pale cheek. Aya's head whipped to the side with the force, the coppery taste of his own blood mixing with Schuldich's in his mouth from him biting his tongue with the sudden strike. Gasping softly, he spit the crimson fluid to the floor by the bed before glaring hard at the man once again purring and stroking his body roughly. 

_//So you like it rough. Good. So do I.//_

* * *

"I don't think Schwarz has him, kid."

Ken glanced at Youji darkly sliding his hand from Omi and stepping back out of reach from the youth. Without glancing at his watch he twisted the dial flipping it up and pressing an emergency beacon. Kritiker's emergency team would be there shortly to take care of Omi. "Explain yourself now, Kudou."

"Ken, I didn't realize that while you were fucking Aya, he ejaculated his personality into you too. Can it now."

"Fuck you. Talk."

"Schuldich."

"Mastermind? What about him."

"He has him. Not Schwarz."

"..."

"Fucking, Christ. I'm wondering now if Schuldich had a party and pulled a Freaky Friday on me."

"You are not amusing, Kudou."

"Neither are you right now Hidaka. Snap out of it. He's not dead!"

"I think he'd prefer to be that way right now if Mastermind has him."

A quick flash of light glinting in the early morning light and a whiz of metal cut through the air as Youji's wire wrapped itself about Ken's neck. "Your attitude sucks Hidaka. We're a team. We do not give up on our teammates. How many fucking times have you preached that to me." Yanking the boy forward he pressed his gloved hand to his flaming cheek and released the wire. Pushing his shades up into his hair a familiar warmth seeped into his emerald irises. "I told you earlier. I need you, Ken, and I meant that. Just snap out of it okay. We'll get Aya back for you, even if I have to trade myself in to do it. I promise Ken."

Blue-green eyes spit hate at the blonde playboy. He knew better than to struggle with that damned wire around his neck and easily let himself be pulled. He didn't even flinch, swallow or try to speak while the wire was precariously close to slicing vital areas of his neck. He even kept his breathing to a minimum. But when the wire was released and the tone in Youji's voice and the touch that could only be termed a caress, Ken had remained rooted in place unable to move. He couldn't believe it. Not from Youji. Never from Youji. Admittedly it calmed him and brought him out of his silent rage momentarily. He nodded and relaxed and broke away from the suddenly uncomfortable nearness of Youji.

A blush colored his cheeks as he turned his attention back to Omi. "Med team should be here soon. **Kudou** and I will try to figure out where they could have taken Aya. If we need your help we'll be in contact." Ken refused to glance at Youji and nervously stepped away rubbing the back of his neck as he felt that verdant gaze boring into him. Damnit this wasn't supposed to be happening. Not Youji. 

"Youji-kun! Ken-kun! Stop fighting, onegai!" The sweet voice was strained but harder than usual, watching the two go back and forth. Omi looked up, putting his hand back on Ken's to try to comfort him. "**Youji** is right, Ken-kun. We'll get Aya-kun back. You know you can never keep me away from my keyboard, even in the hospital! I'll do whatever I can to track him down. Now is when we need to be a team, not threatening each other. That's what Schwarz wants." 

The bit of information about Ken and Aya being lovers was heard and processed but the only comment on it was a light blush on the male's cheeks. He knew the two were close... at times... but had no idea... Shaking it off, he eyed the two and leaned heavily against Youji's side. "What happened on your end of the mission?" 

* * *

"I don't give a damn how you like it Schuldich. Go buy a hooker if all you want is a fuck." Still breathing slowly and letting his mind wander to distant memories, Aya tried desperately to block out the feelings the touches were sending through him. It didn't take much to keep himself from getting aroused, he just reminded himself that Schuldich had stolen him away from his teammates, interrupted a mission... god they probably thought he was dead by now. 

_//I don't want some hooker, I want you. And I will have you know I went through a lot of planning to get you here, orchid. Do you think I enjoyed having your katana slice me down? Knowing that you're only here to spare that little genki boy's life? That's sweet you know, to have proof you are not that heartless bastard you portray to the world.// Schuldich paused in his renewed kissing, his mouth tracing over his shoulders to nip every so often on the soft skin. His hand stayed on the Weiß leader's length, rubbing his fingertips over it and cupping the soft flesh at the base. _

_//It only makes you taste that much sweeter. You know, Liebechen, you can at least try to enjoy this. It will happen whether you want it or not. I would prefer the former because an unresponsive lover is soooo annoying but...// Sitting up from his kissing, he removed and tossed his own clothing to the corner of the room. _//The latter has its advantages as well. Tell me... Are you a virgin, Aya?//_ _

In response to the question Aya just stared blankly at him, lips never twitching to issue a verbal response. Schuldich sighed and shrugged lightly, deciding a different approach. Settling deeper between his legs, he thrust up to rub his hard arousal between his curving backside, running the length up along the narrow crevice. Aya's eyes widened before he squeezed them shut, not wanting the telepath to see the slight panic in his eyes. 

_//Ah, you **are**! At least a virgin in that way. Not a surprise. You seem to be very much a dominating seme-type with all that cold hard authority. I'm more of a uke, or seme, hell it doesn't matter, fucking is fucking.//_

"I don't want you..." he whispered out through clenched teeth, letting out a low hiss as he felt the tip of his kidnapper's arousal press against his tight virgin flesh. He squirmed and arched his back, trying desperately to get away from the touch. A wave of heat raced through him followed by a cold chill and he kept squirming. "No..."

_//Tell me you want this and I'll be gentle...// Lean hands settled on the man's hips, stroking over the gentle swell. His palms stayed to rub over the skin, his fingertips touching over his length trying to coax it to some level of firmness rather than laying limply against his thigh. Damn. He wanted Aya, he wanted him hot and panting and screaming and thrusting back and sweating with passion. But he had known the man would not be easy to break. It was a challenge he was greatly looking forward to. __//Keep fighting and... I will just fight back.//_

* * *

"Oracle and Berzerker showed up. We fought for a bit then the detonator flew out of Youji's pocket." Ken tossed the blonde an angry glare before stepping away yet again from Omi's touch. He didn't need or want the comfort right now. It was just something that didn't register past the rage and feeling of deep loss. He noticed the blush on Omi's face. "Omi... we're not... Aya and I aren't... lovers." They weren't really... not in that sense of the word. He shrugged and turned his angry glare back to the dirt, imaging the countless ways he was going to cut the telepath into multitudes of little pieces. 

"Then what do you call it?" 

"I call it none of your business. Now do you want to tell Omi how you fucked up the mission or what?" 

"I did not fuck up the mission!" 

"Oh how is striking a deal with Oracle of all people not fucking up the mission."

"I was bargaining for our teammates' lives." 

"With Oracle, who was letting Berzerker play with the detonator." 

"..." 

"Oh so now you admit that it was a stupid idea." 

"I admit nothing Hidaka." 

"Riiight. So yeah he made a deal with Oracle. We let them go scott free if they don't blow up the building." Ken reached out and smacked Youji upside the back of his head. "Smooth fucking move ex-lax." 

"Oh that's mature, Kenken." 

"Bite me." 

"You're giving me permission?" 

Ken blushed crimson and remained silent. 

Youji smacked his knee laughing and draped his arm over Ken's shoulders who tried to squirm away but somehow couldn't. Maybe it was because Youji had snagged Ken's belt loop and wasn't about to let him go. 

"I still don't understand how I got out of the building though..." Omi brought his fingers to his chin, pondering silently for a few moments over what they'd told him. He continued to blush lightly at the thought of Aya-kun and Ken-kun... He coughed lightly and shook his head, not quite understanding the reference to not being lovers at least in that sense of the word, but it really didn't matter. 

"Ne! Youji-kun... no biting Ken-kun! I don't think he would like that." Crimson touched his cheeks once more as he eyed the pair, letting his hand stay at his side this time after Ken's brush off. He had always been the closest to Aya, this was probably the hardest on him. "I'm sure that Youji-kun was looking out for our best interest, Ken-kun. They seemed to have planned this surprisingly well..." He looked away. How had they known they'd be here? They'd just gotten this mission today. Er, yesterday. "Mou... Omi-baka," he muttered after bapping himself on the forehead, wincing lightly as that only made his vision spin. 

"All that matters is they have one of our teammates and we have to get him back. Ne?" A siren in the distance caught his attention and a breath of a relieved sigh touched the air. The medical crew. His ribs were hurting him more than he was letting onto, but he couldn't think about that right now. They had to find Aya... with that red haired telepath. Omi shuddered to even think of what was going on with their leader and that man. 

* * *

"This is the last thing I want, Schwarz--" 

Aya cut off his words as he clenched his teeth tightly, refusing to scream out in pain. At his answer Schuldich had jerked his hips up and drove himself deep into him. A scream rose in his throat but he bit it back, refusing to give the man the satisfaction of hearing his extreme pain. Long dark lashes fluttered on his cheeks as he squeezed his eyes shut, wanting desperately to wipe away the tears of pain that dampened the delicate veil of lashes around his long narrow eyes. He shook his head to try to throw them from his face, feeling ashamed of any display of pain he was showing. 

_//You feel so sweet and tight, meine Hure(4*). I've never have had a lover like you.// Emerald eyes slid slut as Schuldich luxuriated in the tight heat wrapped completely around him, burying himself deep within in a single thrust. As he pushed past the tight ring of muscle he arched his back and just cried out loud, fighting for control to not lose it right there and spill every drop of his lust into the warm cavity he was currently thrusting without mercy into. _

Blood appeared in Aya's mouth as he bit harder on his lip, piercing through the tender underside of his lip in his mouth. His eyes stayed shut, knowing that the bile he felt rising in his throat at this humiliation would come to full vomit if he saw Schuldich's sneering face right now. "I'm... your first... rape..." he spoke quietly even as he felt he may pass out from the pain ripping through him. He couldn't do that... not that he was able to resist much now but then Schuldich would be free to do whatever he liked with him and he would have no idea what abuse was issued upon his body. But at least he wouldn't have to see it done to him. Or know about it. But Schuldich would surely send him mental images later, much worse than what he had actually done to him, or the exact replay. He would not be able to tell the difference. "I'm so... fucking flattered." 

It was repetitive thoughts like this that he repeated over and over, blabbering almost incoherently in his mind to keep his mind somewhat off the pain. He also scolded himself over and over for feeling the pain, feeling the shame and the other emotions that only added to the hurt pouring through him like liquid fire. He was a fucking assassin he had been shot, kicked in the face, had whips wrapped about his neck, decked by teammates, wounded in training sessions... but all of that felt like a papercut compared to the feeling of nearly being ripped apart that was coursing through him. With every deep thrust he could feel his tender insides tear a bit more, not needing to look to know that there were droplets of blood on the sheets under his thighs. He felt the wetness on his inner leg, blood mixed with the pre-ejaculatory fluid flowing down Schuldich's arousal. 

At his words Schuldich paused in his pounding thrusts, giving Aya a short break to draw in a breath, trying to have the cool air fill his lungs and take away the pain. A hard balled up fist swinging down across his cheek took him by utter surprise, his head twisting to the side as he just bit harder on his lip to keep from crying out from the flash of pain. For a moment it took away from the agony he felt below the belt but then Schuldich started rocking his hips forward once more in an even quicker tempo than before. His hands curled into fists but he knew he couldn't snap the thick ropes that held him down to the bed, spread out, vulnerable, helpless. 

_//You foolish little Schlampe(5*), you really weren't expecting this when I took you? It was you or Omi, orchid. Him in my bed as you are now or him dead at Nagi's hands, you really don't know do you? If you would rather this be the youngest innocent member of Weiß, do tell and I'll go switch you two out. He's so tender and small, meine wunderschöne Orchidee, such a sweet smile. Such innocence for an assassin... He's so sweet, ja? Like your sister...//_

The man's hand tightened cruelly on Aya's still limp organ, finally making him cry out from his pain. Rolling his head to press into the pillow to not do so again, he felt his tears wet the soft pillowcase. His body went completely still, not responding to the comment about his sister. If he was completely still, it didn't hurt as much. At least that was what he told himself. 

* * *

Ken and Youji watched in silence as the med team took Omi into the ambulance and drove him off to MagicBus. They all always went there. It seemed to be the official hospital of Kritiker. The pair walked in silence back to the roadster. It was still deathly silent on the drive back, neither one of them wanting to talk. Youji mildly embarrassed by his display and Ken's nearly disgusted reaction to it. Ken unsure of what to say now that he was alone with Youji and extremely hesitant to bring up what had happened. Both of them seemed to silently agree that saying nothing was the best thing to do.

Several minutes later they stood on opposite ends of the mission room waiting for a call from the hospital stating that Omi was all right to receive visitors. Deciding there was really no reason to be there, neither one of them having the hacking capabilities of Omi, they retreated to their own room. Youji to his own room and Ken to his, only to exit and slip quietly into Aya's room to nap, clutching the redhead's pillow to his chest.

* * *

The cry was all Schuldich needed to push him over the edge towards climax. His hands moved from Aya's hips to rake his manicured nails over his chest, dragging deep enough to have his smooth ivory skin marked with pink lines, blood welling to the surface in some spots, bright red on his skin, the shade of his hair. He leaned down to press a bruising kiss to the bloodied lips, his tongue flicking over his lips to taste the blood. While most may be sickened by the coppery bitter fluid, it only seemed to spur something in him to continue his hard thrusts. If anything it only increased the tempo of his hips, driving the length further into him even more so than he could have thought possible. 

Aya tried to fight back with the only thing he had that he could use, his teeth, but the telepath must have read his mind or just grown tired of kissing the unresponsive male. Instead he bit down on his shoulder, seeming to almost lick the blood that appeared on his skin once more. Aya felt the bed rock back and forth with his deep driving into him, the pain ebbing as he drew out only to explode once more as he thrust in again. He just lay there, unable to twist away or pull away, unable to lift a single hand to push him away. 

A tiny whimper crossed his lips as he felt the hot liquid spill deep into him, Schuldich only withdrawing after a few more fucks. Aya drew in deep breaths as he finally felt the source of the pain removed the wave of heat scalding every inch of him extinguished. 

_//For now, orchid. For now. That was nice, incredibly nice.// Grinning broadly, Schuldich leaned forward to lick away the trail of blood on his chin, still leaving a red smear there. He still kneeled over him with Aya's body between his legs, the binded redhead slumping deep into the mattress. _

"Are you quite done..." he managed to murmur out, turning his head to spit out the blood and the taste of his own blood. He seriously could not see how Schuldich could lick the ruby life fluid as if it was sugar but he wondered about each and every member of Schwarz. He was really beginning to think that Farfarello was beginning to rub off on them. 

A thick and rough laugh filled the stale air as he had that thought. _//Farfarello is a psychopath killer. I'm just a sadist. I won't even touch that man's mind. But since you seem to think so highly of him... I could leave you alone with him for a bit. He has had sex a number of times, I believe, but not in **that** way.//_ Schuldich continued to grin as he leaned down to flick away the crimson bangs from his eyes. _//Let me just say he likes his knives... a lot. And thinks other people should like them as well and introduces them to them--//_

"Stop. That's sick." 

_//--in ways I don't even want to know about.//_

"I said stop!" Aya's voice was firm and laced with authority, but where he got the strength he had no idea. All he knew was he had the sudden urge to close his legs and huddle into a ball and never pull out of it. 

Pausing in buttoning up his shirt, Schuldich tilted his head at the man. _//Fine. I don't much like thinking about it either. Hmm, I don't think I'll tell Farfarello about my new play toy. I think he'd just kill you. He's not into redheads. He likes genki boys most of all.// _

"Stay away from Bombay..."

_//Ja ja, still thinking of your precious Weiß. They are far away and have no way to find you. But I can so easily find them. And the little Omi... wouldn't you rather have him here rather than you?// _

"No." 

_//Perhaps the brunette then? Siberian is it?// _

"Stay the hell away from Ken, Schuldich." 

_//That **all** depends on you, orchid. Now. You best stop thinking of them and think instead...// He trailed his fingers over the slender chest before he got up off of him, pulling his pants up and zipping them. __//Think instead of how you will next pleasure me, meine Hure. And you best not just lie there like a cold fish next time. I'll find interesting ways of punishment. I always do.// _

The man neatened his hair and put it back in a yellow bandana, the red sunglasses sliding on next. The pile of Aya's clothes and weapon were picked up into his arms and tossed out into the hallway, the blade clattering to the floor carelessly. Pulling out a small blade and a tranquilizer from a case he had set on the floor nearby. 

_//You're a mess, orchid. When you awaken do clean yourself up. I don't like a messy sex slave, even if it's my mess. You have to learn to clean up after yourself and me if I'm going to keep you.// The tranquilizer soon found itself jabbed into his shoulder. Violet eyes glazed with pain merely stared at it, not an ounce of surprise in his hard gaze. The thin blade lashed out to snap the binds on his wrists and ankles and the ropes were removed. _

As the tranquilizer flowed through his body into effect, Aya pulled his worn and bloodied limbs up against his chest tightly, staring blankly at the door. A usual light in his eyes had disappeared, the ice that kept him aloof and untouchable hairlining and shattering. 

_(3*) Wake up, my beautiful orchid   
(4*) My whore (feminine form)  
(5*) Slut_


	3. Sleeping Orchids : Chapter Three : Devil

**Sleeping Orchids  
Chapter Three : Devil**

* * *

The call came to Koneko several hours later, the nurse simply telling the assassin that picked up that the doctor had seen him and assessed his injuries, showing that they were minor and would heal quickly and cleanly if not aggravated. He could see visitors then and was expected to be released the next day if not by the evening. 

Omi himself sat up in his hospital bed, sipping on a cup of juice with his eyes turned toward the sky. His upper chest was tightly and neatly bandaged, two cracked and one broken ribs. A light hum was under his breath, the boy the epitome of cheer as always despite his condition. It could have been worse. A lot worse.

Every once in awhile, he glanced to the doorway, awaiting the arrival of Ken and Youji, perhaps bearing news on Aya, or at least having his laptop with them so he could start hacking. Sure he wasn't out of the hospital yet, but his fingers were fine and could readily type as if he were back in the mission room. They had no time to waste. 

As if being summoned the two assassins strode into the room. Youji looking rested, Ken looking like hell warmed over. Both of them seemed to carry something. Youji had Omi's laptop and cell phone slung over his shoulder. Ken had a backpack full of the boy's favorite snacks knowing how much the kid hated hospital fare. Youji handed Omi the laptop after carefully setting it up for him and placed it gingerly on his lap. Ken had pulled out the cans of soda, but left the contraband snacks well hidden in the backpack for Omi to reach into or Youji to hand to him. 

Youji took a seat at the foot of the bed, sitting on just the edge to not disturb the boy much. Patting the boy's leg gently the blonde playboy gave the youth one of his devastating smiles. "How's everyone's favorite bishonen today? Feeling better I hope. Ready to find out where Aya is before Ken puts a bullet in his head I hope." 

"Shove it Kudou." 

"Did you pack some Midol in there with Omi's snacks or do I need to ask the nurse to bring you some? You've been acting like a bitch on PMS since you woke up. I guess since you didn't have your nightly dose of Aya's cock you're all whiney now." 

"Jealous it's not you fucking me, Kudou?" 

"Yes." 

Ken simply blinked. "Tell me you're joking." 

"... Yes." 

"Good." Ignoring the oldest of the four assassins Ken leaned forward in his armchair and looked at Omi. "How you feeling, kiddo? You up for this? Aya needs you. I'd hate to find out what Mastermind is doing to Aya." Ken shuddered as he pictured the look of lust and desire burning in the telepath's eyes every time he looked at and fought against their leader. It was down right frightening. If he did have him, and if he was... Schuldich was as good as dead to Ken. 

"Oi you two must decide beforehand on these 'let's make Omi blush competitions'!" The boy squeaked softly, trying to ignore that interaction between the two, his cheeks quickly blooming like a rose at the mention of sex as always. One of these days he was going to lose that cute innocence... but not if his teammates could help it would it be soon. He smiled genuinely at the two, a bit of his pain disappearing at seeing the two alive and well still, Schwarz had not come to take them away as well during the night. More than anything he feared the loss of Weiß, the only family he had now, the family he could be proud of and that accepted him, and already one had been taken away. "So who wins this time?" 

An even larger smile curved his lips at seeing the backpack of junk food. Did they know him or did they know him? Reaching for a can of Jolt he poured it into the empty cup which had held the apple juice he'd been drinking. Sapphire eyes met with Youji's emerald and he nodded, trying to ignore the slight pain that crossed over him as he adjusted on the bed to give Youji room. Peeking in the bag, he pointed subtly to a Twinkie, knowing that would make the pain go away. Or so he would say. 

"Hai, Youji-kun, I'm feeling better. I'll be fine. Aya-kun needs us, that's all that matters. Ken-kun. I'll find him. I won't rest until he's back at Koneko where he belongs, away from Scwharz. Back with us. Back with... you." Cracking his knuckles to get started after taking another sip of Jolt and then his slim fingers were flying over the keys to try to find their missing leader. 

* * *

"Well where the hell is he!" The sound of another slap sounded through the space room, a red mark appearing on Nagi's smooth cheek, his head turned to the side. 

"I have told you time and again, Crawford. I do not know." Nagi took in a deep breath, trying to ignore the stinging on his face from the hard slap. Being backhanded by an ex-boxer was not a fun thing. The telekinetic kept expecting himself to have a cracked cheekbone. He could set it himself but it would hurt like a bitch. 

"Hey diddle, diddle  
"The Weiß and the Schwarz  
"The Balinese dropped the pen  
"The little Farfarello laughed  
"To see such sport  
"And the telepath ran away with the katana man!"

Giggling to himself, a sound that rang through the air a bit too much like his war cry, Farfarello paused in his stabbing of a nursery rhyme book that Schuldich had bought for Nagi, saying he was the baby of Schwarz. He was currently cutting out the pictures of the cutified people depicting the rhymes to make a little collage on the table he was perched on, all their little heads and limbs arranged in... disturbing patterns. 

"That does not rhyme, Farfarello," Nagi said faintly, looking over at the madman rocking back and forth and amusing himself with the children's book. It was a nice break from Crawford's drilling on where Schuldich could be. Another slap drew his attention back to the dark haired man towering above him. 

"God likes children. Children like nursery rhymes. Nursery rhymes... rhyme." 

"I see." 

"Naoe, I am talking to you. Ignore Farfarello's insane babbling." Crawford's large hand reached out to shake the boy, pulling his dark blue gaze back to his furiously glinting eyes. It was seldom that Crawford lost his cool, but when his own telepath stole away the leader of Weiß for his own purposes, leaving no traces of him whatsoever, it was vastly annoying. When he saw Schuldich again, he was going to make Reiji's beating of him with the golf club seem merciful and child's play. 

"I do not know where Schuldich and Abyssinian are, Crawford." 

"You were the last one with him!" 

"And you found out he was not coming to headquarters the same time as I did, Crawford." 

The precog seethed and stalked to the door. "Find him." 

"You know as well as I do that is Schuldich wants to stay hidden he will stay hidden." 

"Nagi I do not repeat myself." 

"Understood, Crawford." 

The door slammed shut, leaving the two alone once more. Nagi sighed and rubbed his cheek with his hand before sitting down at his computer, the keys being depressed by an invisible hand as he tried to search out where Schuldich could have gone. 

"Computers hurt God." 

"I know Farfarello." Sighing once more, he glanced over at the psycho happily stabbing once more at the book, the conversation that just went on never once phasing him. "I think right now we need to be more focused on Crawford hurting us." 

Farfarello blinked at the boy dumbly, 'hurt' not registering with him when it came to himself. "Hurting me would hurt God." 

"... hurting me would hurt **me Farfarello." **

* * *

"I have faith in you, Omi." Ken smiled at the boy and leaned back in the chair. He rolled his head back and closed his eyes. In a matter of minutes he fell asleep. He was exhausted, physically, mentally and emotionally. The past 36 hours had been hell on the boy. The mission, his fight over the mics with Aya, thinking Aya was dead and now realizing that Schuldich had him. On top of everything Youji was acting like a freak and giving off weird vibes. He just needed a nap. A nap and he'd feel more himself and less PMSy. God willing.

"You know. I think that's the first bit of shuteye he's gotten since the night before we left for this mission. This thing has got him bent out of shape. I really honestly don't know if there's anything going on between those two. I just wish there wasn't." Youji sighed and turned his attention back to Omi. "You need anything? Something non-sugar like McDonald's, BK, Taco Bell? There's only so much sugar a man can take before it makes ya sick. I know you'd neeever eat something sensible though." 

* * *

The missing member of Schwarz was strolling down the hallway towards the room he had Aya locked in, a confident smirk on his lips. As he neared the room he reached out with his telepathy to glide along Aya's mind, trying to see what he was doing, not wanting the man flying at him in attack the second he walked through the door. But his mind was still groggy and blurred from a combination of the pain, the tranquilizer, and the dreamless sleep he'd fallen into. 

Pulling out a key from his pocket, he opened the door and just stared in. His head shook lightly and he pushed a strand of hair back behind his ear, seeing Aya exactly how he'd left him, curled into a tight ball on the filthy bed, his own blood and sweat on his body. 

Emerald eyes glanced over the man, looking over his pure white skin, even paler with the treatment and traces of fear. Schuldich smiled as he picked them up, licking his lips as he stepped further into the room. Torture was one thing. They could beat and insult the man for weeks in interrogation and he would never break or falter, never betraying his precious morals or Weiß. But rape him, utterly defile him, cross a sacred line with him and violate him, and he snapped like a twig. He grinned widely as he merely stared at him lying on the bed, a look of tortured peace on the man's face as he stayed in slumber, his only break from the nightmare he'd found himself in. 

Soon... he would be fully his. Weiß wouldn't come. They had no way of finding him. The only person Aya would have to care for him would be Schuldich. He moved over to sit on the bed, content for now to just stare at the man. He was like a waking, breathing wet dream, his skin pure and shining, an ethereal glow like an untouchable angel. Even though he was a ruthless killer, he had an innocence and purity about him to rival the youngest of Weiß. All of the white assassins had it, in their own ways. It was harder to see, better masked, but there were glances and glimpses, especially now while he slept like a child, curled up tight. 

An innocence and purity that he had all the time in the world to ruin. 

* * *

"Sugar is an absolute necessity, Youji-kun. The hospital made me eat some... something earlier that was definitely **not** made with a single grain of sugar. Besides... you just got here. I... don't want you to leave so soon ne? We don't know what Schwarz is after." His nose scrunched lightly before Omi smiled faintly at the oldest of Weiß, taking a break from his typing to look over at the slumbering brunette. "We're all worried about Aya-kun... he's just always been more open with his emotions and worries when it comes to us, you know that!" His eyes turned back to the laptop screen, typing furiously to first pull up the tracer that all of Weiß had on them in cases like this. He nibbled his lip as the window he'd pulled up started flashing, showing that the tracker had been found. Maximizing it, he laid over the flashing icon a map of the city, a little red x over the factory they'd been at yesterday. 

"Damn. He must have tossed the tracker from Aya-kun's pocket while driving. Where this is showing me as his false location--" he pointed at the map, zooming in onto it, "--is just somewhere on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. Far from the mission site. Demo... perhaps now I know which direction he went..." Rubbing the back of his neck, he sat back and stared at the laptop's keyboard, pondering deeply. "Hm? Why do you... wish that, Youji-kun?" 

"No reason really. Just Ken's a good person. Too sweet for the shit he goes through and puts up with. He's got a good heart that's being trampled on by someone who doesn't even know he's doing it. Just sucks... for him." The lanky male sprawled out lightly along the foot of the bed, staying on his elbows and mindful of Omi's condition. He sighed as he looked over at the slumbering brunette, so sweet and innocent in sleep. It was so endearing the way his bangs fell to the side and caressed his faintly pink cheeks, the way his lower lip seemed to pout in his sleep. Former thumb sucker he would wager. Damn it.

Youji glanced back at Omi. "How long you think it's gonna take before you find something we can use?"

"We're all good people Youji-kun..." Omi blinked up at him but nodded, his eyes falling on the male who was like an older brother to him. He just hoped that he would be all right. Soon. Overriding the pain in his body ws the boy's worry for his teammates. "How about you, Youji-kun? How are you faring with all of this? You always look out for us, just differently than Aya-kun does." 

Opening up the backpack again, he dug around for a cinnamon and honey Graham cracker, trying to appease the jade irised man since he knew he wanted him to eat something other than the Twinkies and Hostess cupcakes he was currently consuming. The Jolt cola he kept, the caffeine that he was used to making his headache feel a bit better. 

"Soon..." He raised his finger to scratch his nose. "Just running through ideas of how to find him. Schuldich seems to have covered his tracks relatively well. Do you think he would take him to a safe house SZ owns or just some motel?" He sighed and brushed away a soft strand of hair from his eyes, pulling up a list of safe houses and their locations he had been able to pull from SZ's network over a long period of time and careful hacking. "What do you... think Schwarz is doing to him, Youji-kun? Did the telepath bring him back to Crawford for interrogation?" 

"Schuldich seemed to be acting alone. I assume he left you by the tree. It was only Crawford, Nagi and Farf who left. I'd rule out SZ safe houses. Crawford would find him and I don't think Schuldich wanted to pump him for information like Crawford would have. I think that man had a different kind of pumping in mind." Noting the slightly confused expression on Omi's face, Youji decided to just come out with what both he and Ken believed. "Rape. Ken and I both think Schuldich is trying to break Aya by raping him... repeatedly. So you can imagine why we want you to hurry kid. The longer he's there the more damage that man is doing to Aya."

* * *

Aya slowly pulled out of slumber to the feeling of his body being turned, his limbs roughly being pulled from where they were curled to his chest out onto the bed. He felt a sickenly familiar weight press down, his body flat on the mattress stomach down. "Schuldich... Stop." He bit his lip to keep from retching at the feel of the man's hands gliding down his body, touching him everywhere and anywhere despite his repeated protests to stop. 

Schuldich's grin stayed permanently on his lips as he rubbed his pulsing erection between his curved buttocks. _//You didn't enjoy it the other way, so I thought I would try it this way. It'll be all right, Liebechen. You don't have to watch me this way. You kept closing your eyes last time. Eventually you'll get used to this, orchid. You really have no choice.// In a quick motion while Aya tried to wiggle away from him, he slapped a pair of handcuffs on the man's wrists, chaining him to the bed once more. _

_//Tell me, what do you like more, ropes or handcuffs? Ropes tend to cut into the skin, especially when you struggle a lot.// Continuing to rub suggestively against him, mimicking the actions he should soon pay to the tender flesh near, he leaned up to lick along the marks on his wrists, still sore from his struggles earlier. __//But handcuffs if too tight...// A metallic sound echoed through the room as the metal circles snapped tighter about his wrists, cutting into his already abused flesh if he moved them an inch. __//...they tend to dig in even more so.// _

More blood filled Aya's mouth as he bit his teeth into his tongue, refusing to cry out at the pain in his limbs. His face pressed deeper into the pillow as he felt Schuldich lift up for a moment from his backside only to reposition himself to enter just as brutally as before. 

"Fuck you..." his tone was whispered and hoarse, but edged in ice at Schuldich's repeated forced couplings. He lay there squirming and listening to the sounds of Schuldich's moans, trying desperately to put it all on ignore. The sound of his voice, the pain ripping through him, the acrid stench of the room and the bed he was shoved harder and harder into. Images flashed through his mind, his parents, his sister, Weiß, Ken... Ken... 

_//Oh I intend to. Thoroughly and repeatedly. How can I not? Look at you, you're utter fucking perfection.// _

"Perfection is impossible to achieve..." he croaked out, shaking his head to get the images that were helping to take away the pain back. But Schuldich had seen them and was replacing them with varied images of the pair, the screwing being just as forceful but Aya screaming for more and enjoying every second of it. "And is not for... humans to touch." 

_//Didn't I tell you? I'm the devil himself.//_

* * *

He felt the sudden need to throw up. Or faint. Omi's face grew pale but he did neither, just nodded slightly and turned back to look at his computer. "Aya-kun..." he merely whispered under his breath, barely audible over the sound of him typing once more. He couldn't worry about himself now, he had to find their red haired teammate. Trying to swallow the lump that formed in his throat, he glanced over at Youji and then back to his computer. His fingers flew, trying to get a fix on the tracker to see how long it had been in that particular place stationary also while zooming the map out and getting a reading on all the buildings in that nearby area. 

"He has had him for awhile now... will he... be all right, Youji-kun? Will Ken-kun be ok?" 

"Aya's made of strong stuff, but he's still a man and he's being held by the prince of darkness himself. I'd love nothing more than to give you assurances that he'll be okay, but I can't, bishonen. As for Ken... I want to say yes, but I really don't know. Too many factors really. Unfortunately they all depend on how dead or alive Aya is." With a heavy sigh Youji sat up and eyed Ken.

Heartbreakingly lovely. Pushing his shades up to his head, the tall male stood and walked to the closet and pulled a blanket down. It was opened carefully and soon placed over Ken's body. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as Ken curled up with the blanket murmuring softly in his sleep. Omi was innocence personified. Ken was sweetness. How Aya managed to capture it was a mystery he desperately wanted to crack, but even his tightly honed detective skills would never solve the riddle of Ken's heart.

* * *

"You're hardly the devil, Schuldich," Aya hissed as he arched forward into the mattress, trying to get away from the biting pain of the man's nails running down his back to put pink trails on his back to match his front. "You're just a man who will be very dead very soon." 

_//Do you know what my name means, orchid? My name means guilty. I am guilty of all crimes imaginable and unpunished of just as many.// Smiling darkly at the man's sudden anger, he leaned down to bite the tender flesh on the nape of his neck but cursed softly when Aya only tensed up from the pain, his muscles clenching down almost to the point of his own pain as he continued to thrust deep into him. _//They would first have to find me first to do anything. Unlike Weiß, Schwarz can kill at far range. Maybe you would like an example?// __

Aya gasped softly, pulling out of his images of his frequent bed partner, chilled to the bone by Schuldich's mental tone. "No..." 

_//You keep trying to take your mind away from what we're doing, orchid. That upsets me. I'm a telepath, meine Hure, you cannot shield your thoughts from me easily. You are too open, far too open.// Dragging his tongue down the man's spine along with nibbles, he hummed a song lightly under his breath and continued to yank on Aya's hips to drive deeper, rolling in a circular motion to hit the spot deep inside of him. _

The redhead tensed once more at the hard penetration, just holding himself still once more, his only movements being to try to pull himself away as Schuldich pulled him down. The handcuffs bit harder into his wrists, causing a slow trickle of blood down each forearm, but he ignored it. At least it was a bit of pain other than the hard fucking that his body kept threatening to pass out from. 

"If it upsets you let me the fuck go, Schuldich. I'll never enjoy this, never enjoy you." 

_//Why not.// _

"I'm not fucking attracted to you, Schuldich! How difficult is that for you to understand?" 

_//I could make you be, orchid. I could control you and make you do as I wish, make you my willing little fuck day in and day out.// _

Aya's head turned to the side, looking at the man who his hatred for was rivaling that for Takatori Reiji. "Liar and you know it. You can't make me want something that is not in my nature to. You're the enemies, Schwarz, always will be." 

_//Ah right and you are not attracted to enemies. Just that... little Siberian of yours.// A low chuckle passed over Schuldich's lips, Aya's anger only inflaming his passion like nothing else. As Aya tried to scoot away he laced a hand into his hair and yanked up, arching his back to a painful angle and driving him deeper into him. __//You're lovers, if you would call it that. Would you call us lovers, Ran? **Aya**? It's no different. You slip into his room and have your way with him and slip out once more back to your own. You have no regard for his pleasure, just your own need to get off. What did I tell you once, Aya? We're the same stock... you and I. It's always about you, it's always about me. He thinks you're less than human, people think I'm the devil. We'd be a good combination really.// _

Aya jerked back at the hard yank, being forced to his knees or else have nearly every hair ripped cruelly from his head. His hands tightened into fists still chained harshly to the corners of the bed, blood flooding his mouth as he bit down mercilessly on his tongue to keep from crying out, Schuldich never pausing in his grinding and thrusting. His body was bent over Aya's, his lips finding the tender flesh of his earlobe, licking first over the stud part of the gold earring dangling from his ear before tugging the sensitive cartilage between his teeth. _//Maybe it's time we draw your old lover into the game to meet your current?//_

* * *

"Aya-kun can't break..." Omi said in a tone like their icy stoic leader being broken was the most absurd thing in the world. Youji could have just told him that the moon was made of EzCheez and the seas were Jolt with the way he spoke. Ooo that was an interesting sounding world... absurd but interesting indeed. Blinking at those thoughts, he tried to shake them away. **That** was absurd. What kind of painkillers did the hospital have him on anyway? Bringing his gaze back to his laptop, he continued tapping away on the keys, trying to find any buildings that would serve well as places to hold their leader to... rape. 

"He's what keeps us all together, Youji-kun. And we keep him together. He can't break. Schuldich is just a man. The devil doesn't walk this earth, Youji-kun. He's just one of the bad people." Pausing, he looked over at Ken as well, a tiny smile touching his lips at seeing him in a deep sleep. "He won't break," he said again with renewed determination, turning his attention again to his searching. If Ken needed Aya to be all right, and the longer Aya was with Schuldich the less all right he'd be, Aya would be found. Today. He wouldn't rest until he had at least solid five leads. 

The lean male succumbed to the urge to brush that soft brown hair from his eyes. His hand jerked back as Ken stirred, but then slid down his cheek lightly. Just as soft as he'd imagined it would be. Soft as rose petals, and just as sweet, smelling of sandalwood and sawdust and pure masculinity. Nothing feminine about the boy, not like the other three assassins. Ken was all-male, All-American male. And completely untouchable. He sighed softly as he gazed at the boy. "I hope you're right, Omi. For his sake and ours." 

"Ara..." Omi raised an eyebrow at Youji's actions to the slumbering Ken, catching the look in his eye but he just shook it off. He must be imagining it. He was just worried about the former J-leaguer. Damn painkillers... Ken was with Aya and whether Ken would be all right depended on if Aya was all right and he could swear that Youji was looking at Ken with the same adoration and tenderness he had once seen in Ouka's eyes. The same tender look Aya gave Ken when he thought no one was looking, but Omi always noticed the interactions between his team. Or thought he had. None of it had made sense until today and it **still** didn't make sense. 

At the thought of Ouka he shuddered, remembering Schuldich and Farfarello killing her for no reason. Shifting his wandering mind to the laptop again, he tried to focus on what he was needed to do. This was going to take a long time, time Aya didn't have. "Mou, it's like finding a needle in a haystack..." he muttered, rubbing his temples before taking another bite of the sweet Graham cracker, being careful to not drop crumbs onto the laptop keyboard. 

* * *

"Leave Siberian out of this, Schuldich..." Aya pulled his head away from Schuldich's biting kiss to his ear. He couldn't resist the rape being tied down, but he could at least continue to attempt to pull away from any kisses. Deny Schuldich that small pleasure. As long as he could keep resisting... he could keep drawing away from the pain. It was what he had taught himself for so long, 'no emotion'. Cut off the pain, cut off the feeling. But it was so damn hard... 

_//Tell you what, meine wunderschöne Orchidee.// Schuldich paused in his thrusts and actually pulled out of the tight entrance, staying behind Aya and rubbing it slowly up and down. __//Actually enjoy this. Or fucking try to enjoy this and I won't touch your dear teammates' minds. I can be so tender, orchid...// A soft kiss was placed to the back of the redhead's neck, the wet tip of Schuldich's tongue smoothing over the aching bite mark from earlier. __//Or, I can be rough.// _

He grinned as Aya yelped quietly as he abruptly bit down on the already sore and broken flesh_. //So what's it going to be, orchid? Again the choice is yours. You stop fighting me and let yourself enjoy the pleasure that this act brings or... I tap into your Ken's mind and send him very explicit images of you enjoying this anyway.// _

"Sounds like a lose/lose situation for me..." Aya muttered under his breath, his body loosening and relaxing a tiny bit as the hard erection finally vacated his tender cavity, but he knew it wasn't for long. His entire body already felt sore from the little sessions with Schuldich and this was only the second time he'd visited the room. How much longer could this go on? He sighed faintly and spit more blood from his mouth, the delicate tissue of his mouth chewed from when he bit into his tongue and inner cheek and inner lip to force out the pain he felt below. 

But his pain he could handle, for a bit more. What was intolerable was the thought of Ken being subjected to false images of himself with Schuldich, enjoying it and just begging for more. The entire time the man had done this he had not aroused Aya at all, the man too overcome with shame and sheer pain to achieve an erection or even have a single desirable thought. He hated Schuldich with a passion that throbbed through his veins like fire but chilled his hormones like ice. He was amazed Schu wasn't getting frostbite from fucking him. 

But Ken... he let out a tiny gasp of displeasure, both at the thought of the male having to deal with that and from Schuldich continuing his slow rubbings against his soft flesh and broken body, his lean arm wrapped about his waist and fingers stroking gently on his limp organ. Had it been anyone else... especially one brunette with blue eyes... he perhaps would have achieved a full aching arousal long ago, like the second anyone-but-Schuldich walked through the door. 

But it wasn't Ken. It was Schuldich, the man who enjoyed Weiß's pain like some did a delectable dessert. He fed on it. This little kidnapping and rape fest must like Thanksgiving dinner to him. 

_//I'm waiting for an answer, orchid. Think he'll like this one?// He leaned his head back down to lick along his ear, his length still pressed close between his cheeks, thin trails of pearly liquid coating over his pale skin. After the mental message came through, in his mind flashed a picture of the pair of them as they were only with penetration once more, Aya leaned over the bed and crying out the German's name in pure ecstasy. _

"Yes... Schuldich." 

He blinked at that. Damn and here he'd thought he'd met a weak point with Aya. _//You think he'll like that one? I sure as hell do. Let me start searching out his mind, it'll only take a minute. Figures that you would be your usual selfish bastard self, letting me torment your lover and teammate while you go on suffering in damned silence. You sure you didn't want me to take Omi instead? Maybe I could touch on his mind and let him feel what you're feeling. Hmhmhm.// _

He seethed quietly and pressed back against Schuldich's lower body, his head falling to stare at the bed, crimson bangs falling over his eyes as he did so. "Not what I meant, Schuldich. Leave them both the fuck alone -- leave them all **three** alone -- and you... can have me. Willingly."

_//I knew you would see it my way. Most do. In time.// The handcuffs were removed and dropped to the floor, the key landing beside them with a quiet clatter. The telepath moved back and took Aya up in his arms, placing soft kisses along his jaw line and neck, telling him telepathically that this time he could decide the position, he would be able to set the pace and tempo of the sex. _

The redhead let his head tip back as Schuldich ran his mouth down his neck, lighting soft soothing kisses along the tendons and chords of the pale column. His eyes slid shut before he pulled away from the circle of his arms, moving to lie back down on his stomach, his head tilted with his cheek resting on the pillow, eyes never opening as he felt Schuldich position himself behind him once more. He tensed lightly but kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see the man. Though he had said he could it was still rape in his eyes since he was forced into it. If he could be anywhere but here, no matter where it was, he would quickly be away. 

He let out an audible groan as he felt Schuldich slide into him, masking his still present pain as pleasure in tones. The telepath must have bought it or not given a damn because he kept on stroking, his touches tender to the male, his fingers soothing over the bruises and marks on the man's magnolia white skin. Aya continued moaning softly but called out or whispered no names, knowing if he did he would call the man the wrong name. 

There was a reason he had chosen to lie face down and kept his eyes closed tightly, not wanting to see the man raping him even if it was a gentle rape. If he couldn't see him and his vision wasn't seeing the surroundings, it was easier to let his mind wander out to more familiar settings for comfort. Things he would have right now if he could. In his mind it was Ken touching him softly, Ken who was making love to him, Ken being the first and only to penetrate him so privately and intimately. Every whisper of telepathy was Ken's smooth voice speaking to him, asking if he was all right or just whispering his name. Aya... Aya... aishiteru, Aya... 

His fantasy was so real to him that his soft faked whispers of pleasure became real, his body rocking back to meet the slow sweet thrusts as he imagined Ken would touch him if he ever let him be the dominator. Even as his mind imagined it was his Weiß lover and almost believed it, his body knew it wasn't. One of his hands stayed under him while the other gripped the bars of the headboard, pulling up and down slowly to use his whole body to meet the gentle thrusts. His hand was wrapped about the base of his male organ, squeezing tightly around it in the ring of his fingers unconsciously, almost to the point of pain, every time he felt his blood run hot and the length stiffen. The mild arousal would fade, the redhead not wanting to give Schuldich the satisfaction of having affected him in any way no matter the circumstances. 

He felt Schuldich press closer against him, pushing him down into the mattress, his lips falling on his shoulder to nibble and suckle on the smooth marred skin. He shivered and squeezed harder, biting his bloodied and bruised lip after letting out another soft moan. As he felt the warm lean form above him shudder and jerk into him harder, a wave of liquid flowing through him to heat him to the core, his lips parted, a single word escaping before he could stop himself. 

"... Ken..." 

_//Freudian slips will be the death of you, orchid.// _

Schuldich hissed over their telepathic line before loosing all sweetness and ramming harder into him once more. He'd felt the man's mind wandering and growing fuzzy, but had been so lost in the sensations and the echo of his moans dancing like a melody in his own mind he hadn't noticed the fantasy lover Aya's mind was making him into. Hands that had been touching gently over him now bit his nails into his skin, leaving little half moon imprints of red on the skin he hadn't yet bloodied or hit. 

Even as he drove hard into him and snapped the handcuffs on him once more, the Weiß assassin giving him no struggle to do so, he snapped his telepathy out angrily but carefully to find Ken. He found him quickly and easily after searching, finding the male in a slumbering state. Images and words were collected up and easily assembled to be sent out across the lines. 

* * *

_//Do you consider yourself lovers, Ken... do you think he'll ever love you? Let me give you a bit of a reality check, Kätzchen(6*). I'm only doing this for your own good so a sweet little killer like yourself doesn't go chasing after someone who will only scorn you for your attentions and brush you off once he is finished with you.// _

"You... can have me. Willingly." 

The images of Aya appeared in Ken's sleeping mind, slowly rocking back and forth into the fire-haired man's erection, his body flushed in desire and pleasure, the moans coming from his bloodied lips matching the passion apparent from every motion of his body. The arm jutting out from under him with his fingers wrapped around his length moved every so often, appearing as if he was manually bringing himself to climax instead of doing the exact opposite. His moans came faster and heavier, in reality his mind losing himself to the illusion of Ken but that wasn't able to be seen from anyone not directly in Aya's mind. As Schuldich tossed back his head in climax, wrapped tightly up in Aya's body and his copper locks falling over his shoulder, his eyes opened slowly with a grin on his full lips. 

"Yes... Schuldich." 

_//Now you know... sorry it had to be like this, Kätzchen, but all is fair in love and war. Find your solace in Youji's bed. God knows he would welcome you and Omi both with open arms. Aya's mine. I know for a fact you never once pleasured him like that.//_

* * *

Within the confines of the hospital bed the former soccer player began to thrash in his sleep trying to dispel the image as a mere nightmare and not truth. They couldn't be. No... Not Aya. Never... He couldn't... wouldn't ever with the enemy... never with Schwarz. No... 

"...no... No... NO.... NOOOO!!" Ken started murmuring softly the single syllable until he was awake and screaming it out in pained cries of anguish. Hot tears spilled and burned his cheeks like acid. Acid pouring from his shattering heart and soul. He fell from the chair as bile suddenly rose from his stomach to counteract the imaginary acid in his heart. Dropping to his hands and knees he heaved, coughing deeply as torrents of clear fluid and mucus emptied from his stomach. Bile mixed with acid mixed with... denial. He coughed again and again a deep whooping sound. The tears continued to fall as he collapsed into the slick wet pool beneath him. He curled tightly into a ball feeling the icy fingers of betrayal try to find him within them quickly and hastily constructed walls of renunciation. He shook violently as he felt himself splinter in every direction, and as the sobbing consumed him. 

Youji stood in mute horror at the sight before him. Never had he seen Ken break like that. That is what he was indeed seeing. Ken's complete and total collapse. He'd felt it in his own heart as he watched Ken in terror. That breaking and shattering of something utterly precious and beautiful. It made him want to cry too, but he didn't. He had to be strong for both Ken and Omi... and Aya. For Ken's sake he'd rescue Aya from Schuldich. 

The blonde pulled the call chord for the nurse. Even as he knelt to pull Ken out of his vomit he made arrangements with the nurses to prepare the other bed in the room and to take the boy and bathe him. He also requested that Ken be tranquilized. Watching Ken he knew it hadn't been a nightmare. The reaction had been too violent the rejection of what he believed to be reality too violent. He knew it had to be Schuldich. 

Schuldich. 

The man was not actually a human. Every human on the planet instinctively developed a natural equilibrium with the surrounding populace but Schuldich did not. He moved to a mind and he demolished and corrupted until every natural barrier was broken. The only way he could survive was to spread to another mind. There was another organism on this planet that followed the same pattern. A virus. Schuldich was a disease, a cancer of this society. He was a plague, and Weiß was the cure.(7*)

* * *

Curled up tightly on the bed, Aya drew in deep breaths between coughing fits, traces of crimson on the bed from the blood he was coughing up. Nearly every single inch of his skin was laced with bruises and cuts and smeared in blood, the numerous freshly inflicted cuts trickling blood onto the filth encrusted sheets. 

"I... I told you Schuldich..." he gasped out, pressing his limbs against his chest tightly. His wrists were dreadfully sore and bleeding but his hands were unbruised and still in their white purity, the slender digits only having trickles of blood from his arms and wrists. Why the telepath had not touched his hands he did not know. He didn't pretend to know why he did half the things he did. Violet eyes still holding sharp edged ice stared at the man even as he lay helpless on the bed. Though he was untied he barely had the energy or strength to strike a hit to the man. 

After he had moaned out Ken's name Schuldich had gone into a rage, continuing to rape him, tearing his insides while attacking his outer skin as well. Nails, teeth, biting into his skin before striking his hard balled up fists. To his credit Aya hadn't cried out, just tried to take his mind further and further away. In the middle he blacked out only to be brought out of the tiny bit of escape he'd been able to find, Schuldich still abusing him in every way possible even in his unconscious state. He woke up in more pain imaginable and dared not guess what had been done to him in the temporary lapse. 

"I told you... that I would not... enjoy you, Schuldich." 

A slap was delivered to his cheek before he was shoved back onto his back once more. The hard eyes slid shut as he felt himself sprawled out again but opened them after a moment, only feeling the German sitting atop him, his organ for once not pressed hotly against his hip or tender torn flesh. 

_//It hardly matters now, orchid,// Schuldich whispered across the mental line still up, a low angry buzz in the back of the redhead's mind. The German leaned down to suck on his bruised split lip, bringing forth a shudder of pain as he bit down none too gently on the torn flesh. _//Right now Ken in writhing in pain and denial, thinking you're loving every minute of this...// __

Eyes the color of sunsets and sunrises, pale with hurt and shame flew wide at that. He tried to pull his head away from the mockery of a kiss, not caring as he felt Schuldich's teeth tighten to hold him still. Aya continued to pull away until Schuldich finally released and his head fell back onto the pillow. "You said you'd leave Ken out of this if I tried or at least pretended to enjoy it!" 

_//Would you believe I lied, orchid? Or it kinda slipped my mind?// Giving him a grin, he just stared at his little battered prize. __//Mein Gott, even all bloody you're so beautiful, orchid...// _

A stain of pale crimson fluid suddenly landed on Schuldich's cheek, Aya's eyes flashing darkly as he turned his head automatically to the side, expecting a strike from spitting on his face. "I'll never be yours, Schuldich. I refuse to belong to anyone so despicable and such a liar. I won't belong to a liar. I'm only here to spare my teammates the same torture you seem to so love dishing out to me. I'm not here for your sake, I'm here for theirs. You wouldn't know a single damn thing about things like loyalty and honor, guilty one." 

_//Who would want you once I am through with you. And I am not. Not yet.// Wiping the spit from his smooth cheek, he continued to smile before shoving his fingers into the man's mouth and slowly thrusting in and out, his lower body rubbing and rocking, his body mimicking the earlier... attentions. _

"OW!" he suddenly cried out, his first vocalized words in the entire time since he'd faced off with Aya. He pulled out his fingers from the other man's mouth, a thin line of blood where he'd bitten him on the knuckles. Emerald eyes flashed dangerously at the man under him but he just stood up again. He was still fighting. How utterly wonderful! God but the man was just as passionate and hard as he'd ever imagined. 

_//I also don't keep my word to the enemy which you still see me as. Sleep well, orchid.// _

Curling back on his side, Aya reached up to wipe away a bit of spit on his bottom lip, frowning and half whimpering when he saw his fingers come away with blood, again and again every time he wiped his lip or any part of his body. Sighing and finally giving up, not having the strength or pain tolerance to move a hand to try to clean himself, he scooted back to press his back to the wall, eyes locked on the bolted door. He felt his eyelids droop shut but the pain was too much to let him fall to slumber and every single sound jarred him awake from the light sleep. 

As he felt the low hum leave his pain dulled mind, he let his mind wander, finally closing his eyes. Who would want him as he was now? And Schuldich wasn't even done, hardly so. He almost didn't want Weiß to ever come, not wanting them to see him in this state... He was the cold icy one, the one incapable of such things as trivial as sex. The one who could never be broken. Even with Ken whom he visited almost every night he treated him no different than the others when on mission and in the flower shoppe. Cold, superior, harsh... inhuman. Above them. Not like them. Not one of them. 

He had just wanted to spare them any pain... Wanted Omi's life and innocence preserved... Wanted for Youji to just be the lazy one and not have to worry about responsibility, responsibility he was surely feeling with their oh so valiant leader gone... Wanted to be ruined no more in Ken's eyes... It was the only bit of care he knew how to show them... 

"What am I..." he whispered, wanting desperately to fall to dreams of Ken but they wouldn't come. Slow tears fell down his cheeks as he slid off to a dreamless sleep, wondering faintly what the next visit from Schuldich would bring. Wondering if it would bring his death. 

And if he would welcome it. 

(6*) Kitten  
(7*) Yeah... that's the Agent Smith speech pretty much to Morpheus in The Matrix. It's a kick ass movie I'll have you know and it FITS! ^_^; Also in the manga Schuldich plays in Aya's dreams so it really fits. (Morpheus, Greek mythology, god of dreams). We don't own The Matrix or WB or Keanu.... Reeves... um... what were we talking about? Oh right. Don't sue us.


	4. Sleeping Orchids : Chapter Four : Rescue

**Sleeping Orchids  
Chapter Four : Rescue**

* * *

"So Sleeping Beauty awakens. I'm disappointed. I didn't even get to kiss you awake. Ahh right but I'm not Prince Charming, or was it True Love's first kiss that was to awaken the lovely slumbering beauty in the ageless sleep. I'm not that either..."

Dark silken threads that made up Ken's eyelashes fluttered like butterflies on his bronze cheeks. The golden hue of his lids revealing the Mediterranean depths of his stunning aqua eyes. His brow furrowed in confusion at Youji's whispered words muttered softly near his ear. "Youji? Where?"

"You had a nightmare... I think. I asked the nurses to tranq you to keep you from Schuldich's reach while you slept. That's what happened isn't it?" The blonde's voice was still soft, as he took rare liberties with the boy while he was still dazed. Liberties he never would have taken knowing Ken would have rejected him. Long fingers brushed away the soft brown bangs away from his soulful eyes.

He'd stayed by Ken's side the entire time he'd been sleeping occasionally answering question or asking questions of Omi. For the most part he'd left the genki youth to his work knowing the less distractions for him the better. Youji had watched in silence as Ken slept peacefully. Seeing him awaken had been a relief. He knew the boy was exhausted and still would be, but at least he'd be rejuvenated. Straightening he sighed knowing he couldn't keep Ken's wakefulness from Omi. Instead he stood and ruffled Ken's hair playfully. "Nice of you to sleep while the rest of us slave around looking for your boyfriend."

"He's not... You slaved? Oh God we're surely doomed if you actually lifted a finger to help."

Youji clutched at his chest in feigned anguish. "Kenken! I'm hurt! You actually think I'd lay around in bed and sleep while a teammate's life hung in the balance."

"Yes."

"You mean like you just did...?" He had to grin for setting Ken up beautifully like that.

"Eh... You tranq'ed me."

"Only after you had your dream, which meant you were sleeping before that."

"..."

"Aha! Point for Uncle Youji! What's the score now."

"Ken a lot. Youji one."

"Cute."

"I am aren't I?" 

"Yes, very." 

"..." 

"Two points! I'm on a roll tonight! Care to go for three?" 

"And give you the satisfaction?" 

"No lovin' for Uncle Youji tonight it seems." 

"..."

"HA! I knew you loved me Kenken."

"Anyway... Status Omi?"

"Ken-kun!" Omi said brightly after rubbing his eyes, looking over from his work also glad to see the usually very active member of Weiß awake if not still groggy from the heavy tranquilizers. Reaching up, he stretched lightly before wincing in pain. Dumb ribs. "Ah... not much luck, gomen. I wish I could tell you different but..." He shrugged lightly and looked back to the screen and rubbed his eyes again. "This doesn't have the same capabilities as the computer at home, I use this more for work on missions and setting up the detonation on small explosives for distractions." 

He sighed faintly and looked over at the two. "Once I get back home it'll be a lot easier... I have a few leads but nothing to get too excited about. Gomen, Ken-kun, Youji-kun." His lower lip puffed out into a slight pout as he looked back to the screen once more. 

Blinking as the fog started clearing from his mind, he sighed. "I got a nice vision from Mastermind. If I describe it will it help you narrow down your options?" 

"Ken? Are sure?" Long, lean arms crossed over his slim chest as the playboy relayed his concern. "You didn't react to well when you saw it..." 

"For Aya... I'll retell what I saw of the area if it'll help Omi. Will it?" 

"Hai, Ken-kun. I have a list of some of the safe houses SZ owns." He grinned a tiny bit at that accomplishment. That had taken him months and long nights to get even the short list of locations he did. "And yes I knew it was dangerous if they caught me but they didn't. Unfortunately, the ones I have are all over Japan and where that tracker is... is far from Tokyo. It may help me narrow it down." Reaching over he picked up the can of the highly caffeinated beverage, finishing up the rest. Tapping the can lightly to get it all out, he dropped the can into the trashcan by the bed, his fingers returning to pull up Notepad to jot down what Ken said. "Ready. For Aya-kun." 

Ignoring the actions of what were going on **in the bed, glazing them over for Omi and his own sake he described what he could of the actual room. More details coming to him as he illustrated that brief glimpse he'd been given. As he went on he began to remember scents outside of the ones from sex those he were familiar with and could dismiss with some ease though they sickened him. He went through every sense to get a feel for the room, temperature, textures of the sheets on the bed, sounds that permeated the walls. Everything in painstaking detail until he could explain no more and all he could see was the coupling in the bed. He began to shake and the tears started streaming from his eyes but he tried to press on and give him more. **

"Okay, Ken. Stop..." 

"But..." 

"I order you to stop, now." 

Ken nodded solemnly silently thanking Youji. "Is that enough Omi?" 

Sliding the laptop from where it rested on the bed to the small table at his side, Omi straightened up and glanced to the door to first see if it was closed. It was. The boy's small form moved off the bed over to Ken's, his slim arms wrapping about the older male as his own tears fell from his deep blue eyes. "Hai... Ken-kun..." he whispered through his crying for the brunette, ignoring his own aches and pains. 

"I'll find him for you. I will find our leader." 

* * *

Three days. Seventy-two hours. Four thousand three hundred twenty minutes. Two hundred fifty nine thousand two hundred seconds. It had been three days exactly since the building had blown, Omi noted as he looked at his watch, his eyes blurry from lack of sleep and staring at a computer screen almost without pause since Ken and Youji had entered his hospital room. 

He now sat in the mission room, his body just bothering him with minor aches and pains, the lighter painkillers the hospital had given him minoring the pain. The hospital had released him a few hours after Ken's collapse, telling them both to just take it easy for a few days and let Omi's ribs heal and Ken to just... get rest. Omi still did not know how Youji had explained that exactly to the nurses. MagicBus was getting somewhat used to... odd injuries from the group. 

The boy glanced over to the couch where Ken slept, Youji in a nearby armchair slumbering lightly as well. The three hadn't been out of one another's sights in those days, worry in each of their eyes every time they looked at one another and they tried to conceal it, it was painfully clear. After they'd gotten home Omi had gone directly to his computer in the mission room, passing off sleep as a trivial necessity he simply did not have time for. Aya did not have time for him to sleep. 

Munching lightly on an apple he'd disappeared upstairs for a minute to get while the two slept, he looked back to the screen, squinting at the monitor before scrolling down. The tracker had come up with nothing, Schuldich apparently having circled around or backtracked or come back or just gone a complete opposite direction after dumping it off to throw Weiß off. 

On his screen was the list of SZ owned safe houses that he had collected up over months of careful hacking, finding a well-hidden loophole in their mainframe, specifically directly into Schwarz's computer systems. Running a hand through his hair and muttering that his eyelids needed to cooperate and stop drooping **now**, he let his fingers fly over the keys to try to slip into the system once more to try to access the up to date list. Running his tongue over his lips in careful thought, he searched first to get a lock on Crawford's computer console. 

Even the genki boy so considerate of his teammates couldn't keep his 'whoop' of cheer quiet as he found the leader of Schwarz's computer inactive. Now he could just mask his tracks to make it look as though it was Crawford doing the looking, not Weiß, should anyone see it... 

Startling awake at the excited cry while the blonde strangely curled up behind him and... hugging him remained in his comatosed sleep, Ken sat up and pulled away from Youji's embrace and headed toward the back of the mission room to Omi. Along the way he picked up a mug of still warm coffee from the back table and brought it to his lips as he leaned against the wall. "Tell me you found something, kiddo. Tell me you know where my Aya is." 

"I'm back in SZ's system, Ken-kun. If they are able to track me in their system..." He continued hitting a few keys, looking over his shoulder at the sleepy brunette. "...they'll track Oracle's computer system, not mine." Bringing his thumb up to his lips he nibbled lightly on the digit, pulling up windows and searching through the opposition organization's main frame with a nearly dizzying speed. 

"Mou but they have a lot of safe houses... I was able to toss out quite a few though, Ken-kun, after doing a lot of searching and detailing on what you told me about that... vision. The list is getting a lot shorter. I'm finding him before dawn. I have to." Continuing to file through the lists, he paused, tilting his head before pulling up the old list he pulled from their computer system and saved to his own hard drive. 

Nibbling on his nail in thought more, he bapped himself lightly and picked up an apple slice instead. "I think I may be needing sleep... That--" he pointed to his list, "--one is listed... I just got that one a few weeks ago... but in SZ's files it's gone..." 

Well well, looks like when Nagi erased the records of SZ owning the building where Schuldich and Aya were currently was one of the locations that Omi was able to pull from SZ's computers before Nagi erased it from all records... all but one record. The record Weiß had in their possession, unknown to them.

Bending to compare the two documents the current one was indeed missing a record of one specific out of the way safe house. "Omi, run deed and title checks, on that property. Make sure it wasn't sold or destroyed. Then find me photographs of that building if you can, blue prints, what type of security is in that building. Give me everything. Do your little magic." Flicking the screen on the highlighted listing, he let a malicious grin touch his lips. "If everything checks then that's where Aya is. God, Omi. I think I could kiss you." 

"Then Aya would have to kill Omi and we can't have that can we. We know how possessive we are of what's his." 

"I really wish you'd stop that kinda joking, Kudou." 

"Why?" 

"Because A) It's none of your business. B) You just wouldn't understand." 

"Understand unrequited love? Ok I think I just might, more than you know." 

"This is nothing like you and Asuka." 

"Who said anything about Asuka?" 

Ken stood there silent and stunned just looking at the blonde. He had nothing really to say to that. He didn't know what to think of it. Youji had never before expressed an interest in him or if he had he hadn't been so damn obvious about it as he was now. What the hell did he want from him. It wasn't as if he could change what he felt for Aya, whatever that was. Youji was Youji, and that was that. He'd been more like a brother and the butt of his and Omi's practical jokes for the longest time but... Running a finger through his hair he sighed. "Omi do whatcha can and find me that information. Youji. Go... get laid or something and leave me alone. I'm gonna shower and get a few things together to storm the safe house. Actually Youji. Go to Kritiker's weapon storage and find a rocket launcher and a few canisters of sleeping gas." 

"..." Pure Aya moment there. Omi watched the two for a minute, really not getting it. He brightened when he picked up on something. He was far from stupid, but when his teammates bickered back and forth about deep matters of the heart and... *blush* ...sex, he often just didn't follow. Often times he would just blush and fluster their names and try to go back to what he was doing. 

"Ne, Ken-kun, why don't you just kiss Aya-kun when we get him back?" Grinning brightly at him, glad to see him smiling again. Looking again, he noted the malicious grin and placed his hand over his, giving him a sweet look of concern. "Ken-kun, daijoubu. We'll have him back soon. It will take me a few hours to get all that information without being caught though." 

* * *

A short squeak of pain crossed Aya's lips as Schuldich raked his nails down his back from the intensity of his climax, breaking his skin that had just been bruised and scraped. He pressed down into the pillow as he now often did, not letting him see any expressions of pain on his face. "Schuldich... seems you would get tired of the same things over and over..." he said weakly in a hoarse voice through cracked and bloodied lips. 

The entire three days he'd been with Schuldich he had not bathed or eaten once, and the usually impeccably dressed man was starting to be sick with even himself. His pale body was even more so from blood loss, shivering involuntarily from the pain almost continually. The pain of his hunger was starting to almost block out the pain of his battered body, most of his body numbed by his own will. Every time Schuldich came into the room he refused to look at him, keeping up the strength to pull his head away from any time he tried to kiss him or get him to look at him. It was the only type of resistance he still had, denying Schuldich the ability to see his face and his pain. 

_//I will never get tired of you, orchid.// Sliding off of him, the German took up the lanky redhead in his arms, pulling his weary body close against his. Aya blinked and batted lightly at his chest but Schu merely took hold of his wrists into his hands. __//Do you know how long I've wanted this, waited for this? Ran... I could make this so easy on you... I could make you enjoy this so much. With my powers I could raise the devil from hell. I could give you whatever you want...// _

Struggling away from him finally, he curled up on side and turned away from him, putting his marred and bloodied back to the German. He bit his already sore lip as he felt the man pull close to him, his sweat dampened skin on his just sending a chill through him. "I want to go home, Schuldich--" 

_//Home? Your home blew up years back, miene Hure. You have no home... Do you not remember? Your dead parents? The bomb? Your cute little imouto being struck by a car?// _

"I am **well** aware of that night, Schuldich. I want to go back to Weiß." His eyes squeezed shut and he tried to move closer to the wall away from him, arching his body away from his rubbing. His eyes flashed darkly under his pale closed lids and he felt the anger surge through him but he kept it concealed, just allowing the pure adrenaline to rush through him. He kept his mind as concealed and dulled as possible, just replaying over and over in it basic kendo practices and moves he had memorized and could do in his sleep. 

_//Weiß despises you most times, orchid. You're cold and they can't talk to you. Why ever would they want you back? You're mine, dear little flower. They'll never find you.// _

Tensing as a cold sweat broke over his body, the kendo moves were replaced with images and memories of Schuldich raping him and abusing him. Catching him at weak moments and promising his return home if he'd just cooperate, trying to soothe him with soft kisses before shoving his erection anywhere and everywhere. He still couldn't get the vile taste from his mouth of the last time he had parted his lips with that fleshy shaft, making him gag and nearly wretch with his hard thrusts into his mouth. Fingers yanking on his hair only to shove him aside in anger and strike him once more when he refused to deliver any attentions to him other than just sit there and wait for him to finish, not wanting the taste of him but getting it time and time again. Everything the man was doing to him made him feel ill, and the few things he had in his stomach from many days ago had been vomited after the first time he was forced to go down on him. He had lost count of how many times he'd penetrated his tender flesh or lips, how many humiliations, how many times he had almost broken, how many times he had silently begged for death but refused to ask it, knowing Schuldich would just make some false promise if he would just cooperate he would get whatever he asked, how many strikes and hits to his body, how many times he allowed him a bit of his dignity once more only to rip it away once more in new and painful ways. 

Turning quickly he let loose a loud mental cry of anguish into Schuldich's mind as the adrenaline throbbed through his veins, screaming and lashing at him like a rabid animal. Like a scalded cat, scratching and kicking wildly with no sense of humanity in him. He was slowly trying to take even that from him, treating like worse than some whore on the street, just a belonging, a little pet to beat and call back and win affections with little treats. All control he usually held so well was lost, just wanting to hurt the man as he had so many times hurt him. 

He screamed and kicked as Schuldich struggled to get away and get the binds once more, sending him a quick telepathic blow to settle him. Still he hissed and seethed as the pain tore through his mind, unable to stop from having his hands tied tightly but the fight had hardly left him. His knee lifted and launched up into Schuldich's groin before his feet too were tied down. 

_//Still fight in you... impressive. So damn impressive orchid.// A grin touched his lips even as winced in pain from the hard kick. _

"Get the hell out Schuldich. Touch me again and I will kill you with my teeth if that's all I can manage. I know they don't fucking want me but that's for them to tell, not you. If they in truth do not, I will go somewhere else. But never willingly to your bed, Schwarz. Ever." 

* * *

"Ken-kun...!" Omi said after a yawn, his answer to that being to just sip a bit more Jolt. He could sleep after he got Aya back and safe in Koneko. Looking over at the man sitting patiently on couch, he smiled brightly. The hour was a few hours after dawn. All nighters were hardly rare for the boy. "I think I have everything you needed. Remember when you told me there was that sound you heard in the vision? This mysteriously missing safe house is near train tracks." 

Pointing to the screen with his weary but proud smile still on his lips, he taped the information he'd been able to pull from SZ's network. "It wasn't sold or destroyed as far as I can tell from any records I was able to dig up... It's just **gone** from SZ's." Reaching over to the printer, he handed over a set of blue prints he'd found just a half-hour ago. "Used to be a very small, very well hidden, very little known prison... Used for the top security 'patients' of SZ. It's still well locked up but... it's abandoned. Has been for years." His sapphire eyes met with aqua. "Once we get into the building, I imagine Mastermind will be the only one we have to worry about. Nothing we can't handle though, ne?" 

"Nope nothing we can't handle." Ruffling the boy's head he gave him his winning smile and a light squeeze on his shoulder. Ken looked around to his two teammates. "I've got every thing I need in Youji's car. Do we have everything to do this?"

"I got everything you requested Kenken. I got the gas and the launcher for it. The gas is strong. No doubt Aya will get hit by it but it shouldn't be the least bit detrimental to him. In fact, the lab guys at Kritiker told me that it won't even affect us. It's a viral type of sleep agent. All of Kritiker's employees were inoculated to it do reduce the need for gas masks. Worst case scenario though Aya may just fall asleep for a couple hours but I think it'll be a blessing." Youji's arm slipped over Ken's shoulder and hugged the shorter male tightly against his side. Pressing the barest touch of his lips to Ken's temple, he sighed knowing that this would be the first, only, and last time he would ever be able to taste the honey of the former J-Leaguer.

Ken gave Youji a faint smile as he pulled away and rubbed lightly at his temple. Looking between Omi and Youji he smirked softly, "Okay boys. Put your game faces on. For old times sake." Squaring his shoulders, Ken protracted his Bugnuk and held it out between the two assassins. "For revenge."

Youji's soft chuckle filed the air suddenly as his hand fell to Ken's head to ruffle the boy's hair. "You're such a sentimental fluff."

"Just do it."

"Oh fine." The blonde shook out his arm and let his watch slide around the palm of his hand and laid it over Ken's. "To find out if I'm still alive."

Both heads turned to look at Omi waiting for him to completely the seemingly ancient chant. Clasping their weapons in hand in the middle each one calling why they fought for Weiß then chanting Weiß's missions statement which was usually Persia's tagline. 

Nodding to the two, Omi rose from the chair and picked up his cross bow from where it rested beside his chair, where he'd kept it knowing that soon they would leave to go retrieve Aya. Looking as serious as possible, and just looking like an angry Pikachu with his bright blue eyes fluffy hair and innocent face, he laid the crossbow across the prongs of the Bugnuk. "For the meaning of life." 

Sapphire blue met with first emerald green then aquamarine. "White hunters of evil, pursue the tomorrows of these dark beasts." In unison with Omi the other two assassins spoke the same words. 

Giving a lighthearted grin to the pair soften the mood, Omi grabbed up his laptop and the blue prints to the building. He handed out mic sets and easily fitted his into his ear, having done it a hundred times already. Moving to the stairs, picked up a small case holding his poison and tranq darts. "Ne. I call shot gun!"

* * *

"Take a right turn here..." Omi said softly to Ken, looking at the map in his hands. The area around them was highly wooded but down the road was a break in the trees, a large meadow with the old prison in the middle of it, a large electrified fence around it with barbwire atop. The boy scrunched up his nose at seeing that. He would have to test it with a dart in a moment to see if the current was turned on. The records he had found had said the prison was abandoned but he hadn't found mention of whether or not it was operational. Cursing faintly he shook his head faintly. They would get past it. 

* * *

Schuldich opened his emerald eyes from where he lay resting in a room near Aya's, light bandages on where the man had dug into his skin like an animal with his nails and teeth. Sitting up he pushed his untamable fiery hair back behind an ear, he looked around and sent out a telepathic feeler. 

Smirking he rose to his feet to move towards Aya's room once more, the key in hand. "Weiß comes." 

* * *

The three were kneeling on a hill looking down at the abandoned prison. Youji carefully surveyed the building comparing it to the blue prints in his hand. "High windows. No glass. Though hopefully the wall coming down won't do too much damage or scatter too much debris on Aya." Green eyes looked over at his teammate loading up the canister into the launcher. "You know what you're doing with that?"

"Yeah I took out a buncha Takatori's SD troops with one of these before I rescued your ass."

"Oh so that's what you did while I was BLEEDING AND UNCONCIOUS!"

"I saved your ass didn't I? And what kinda moron drives into a wall."

"One who's been SHOT."

"Oh so you admit you're a moron."

"I'm not... Fuck. Just shoot the damn thing."

"Didn't have to tell me twice." Hoisting the barrel of the launcher onto his shoulder, Ken took aim, setting his crosshairs on the small barred window they were facing. With a quick press of the trigger the canister of sleeping agent sailed through the air and cracked open against one of the bars. Another one quickly followed taking the bar and the window out. The third and final one was launched to land cleanly in the room.

With any luck the air ducts would carry the gas throughout the prison and anyone not associated with Kritiker within the building would soon be sleeping soundly. 

Even in the stressful situation, Omi couldn't help but let out a giggle as he glanced at the two bickering. "Almost like old times ne? Before Aya-kun joined Weiß..." Maybe it was from lack of sleep but the boy just found it comforting and a bit amusing. Before Aya had joined Weiß, if it wasn't Ken and Omi bickering and Youji keeping the peace, it was Ken and Youji or Omi and Youji. Aya brought a calming strength... and a pair of violet eyes that glared darkly if anyone acted like a child in an improper situation where such behavior wasn't necessary or needed. 

As the two had been lugging the sleeping gas and rocket launcher up the hill, he had been walking around the perimeter of the old prison looking for a way in. A single dart thrown at the fence had shown it was operational, and the blue prints of the place showed there were controls. Inside the place though. Smirking, he had just tossed his bag of darts over his shoulder and trekked up the hill after the two. 

Eyeing the hill, he looked around and brightened, spotting a tree. Dashing over to it while the two bickered on some more after launching the sleeping gas, he hopped a few times trying to reach one of the lower branches still way over his head. Sweatdropping and bapping himself, he strapped his cross bow to his back and looked over at the tall blonde. "Youji-kun? Lift me up?" Pointing up, he smiled at him. "The fence is electrified. But we're getting in... Schreiend-style!" 

It was a method they'd used once before to get into the house where Hel, Schoën, and Tot had Aya-chan hidden. Climb up a high tree and shoot a dart with some of Youji's wire attached, creating a zip-line. It worked then it would work now. 

* * *

Blood shot violet eyes glazed over from pain, hunger, and lack of sleep, cracked open as Schuldich once more walked into the room. Coughing faintly before parting his lips he lifted his head but stayed curled on the bed. "What the hell do you want, Schuldich..." His voice was barely above a whisper, not able to make it more. As Schuldich stepped closer after locking the door and pocketing the key, his hand pulling his zipper down, he spat at him. 

_//Still so feisty orchid...// Schuldich smirked and pulled his clothes off, shoving his head back to the side. Aya winced lightly but turned his head before he wrenched the already sore muscles. The fire-haired man climbed on top of the crimson haired assassin lying face down on the bed, driving hard into him without warning. His little uke flinched but automatically tried to loosen up to ease the pain. _

_//Just came to give you my goodbye fuck. Weiß is here.// _

The leader of Weiß froze, stopping his weak protests as that word echoed through his mind over and over. The fight almost seemed to go out of him, the icy glare in his eyes almost seemed to melt. His eyes closed shut to fight the sudden tears he felt. The man from a few hours ago who'd spat back in Schuldich's face after he forced him to give him head seemed to disappear, replaced by a man who was terribly ashamed and... afraid of how Weiß would see him. 

"Weiß... Schuldich... get off me..." 

_//Not until I get off, Liebechen...// He gave him a lecherous grin and continued thrusting even as the sleeping gas filtered in through the air vents as Weiß had opened. Any falling debris was across the prison so it never touched the pair on the bed. _

Opening his eyes as he felt Schuldich grow still on him, he blinked back to see the slight fog entering the room from an above duct. It made his eyes tear lightly but nothing else even as it promptly put Schuldich into a deep sleep. The low-pitched buzz in the back of his mind finally shut off, letting him know that Schuldich was fully asleep. Biting his lip, struggled to get out from under him, only managing to fall to the hard floor. Wincing as he smacked his elbow on the concrete, he eyed the door across the room and just shook his head weakly. Way way way too far. 

Sighing faintly and trying to pull in cool air across his parched throat, he just picked up the short sleeved shirt Schuldich had been wearing and curled up in it as best he could, lying on the floor and just staring at the door. 

* * *

It had been little matter to get past the wire fence. Once Omi had been given the boost it had taken only seconds to get to the compound. From there the trio moved quickly and silently though the area looking for the guard house where the main security system ones for the interior and exterior of the prison. It had been an easy system for the boy to hack in and shut everything down. The emergency lights immediately flicking on, without any of the security measures.

While there Ken took the opportunity to figure out where Aya was being held. Comparing the building manifest they had to the one currently on the wall, Ken noticed a set of missing from the wall. Pointing to the area of the map where that room was located Ken looked to his teammates. "This is where he is."

"And you know this how."

"No keys for this room here."

"I knew Kenken wasn't stupid."

"Uh... Thanks I think. Let's go." Leading the way once more the trio of assassins made it through the corridors without mishap. It was dark with the only light being the harsh yellow lights from the emergency bulbs overhead but it was enough light to navigate by. They came upon the door. Testing the door it seemed to be locked some how. "Shit. Omi. What can you do about this annoying thing. If you manage to get it open let me in first." Turning to face it, Ken banged on it lightly, "Aya... are you in there. Please be okay. I'm coming to get you out." 

"There is no 'if' about this, Siberian..." Omi said softly as he pulled out one of the other cell's keys he'd picked up in the security room and dropped to his knees to get better light on the lock. 

Waving the other two away to not block the emergency lights, he pressed an ear to the thick metal door, able to hear faint shuffling in the room. He could practically feel Aya in the room. Inserting the key he wiggled it lightly, trying to get a feel for the slots and pins in the mechanism. If all else failed, he had small bombs he could place on the door but didn't want to do that, one reason to not harm Aya if he were close to the door, second he wasn't sure what was in the air in this prison. Mastermind had most likely known they were coming and could have put some type of explosive and not easily detectable gas into the air to blow the three up at a single spark. He wasn't sure and wasn't about to take a chance like that. Schwarz was crafty and heavens only knew the materials SZ had at their disposal. 

Pulling out of his pocket a small case with files and metal pins, he skimmed a finger over a few and picked them out by touch, inserting them in at an angle to try to touch on the parts of the lock the wrongly shaped key wasn't. "Come on... arg, prison locks... they actually make them relatively easy to pick as long as you can get a hold of one of the styles of keys the prison uses..." he muttered lightly under his breath as he worked. "The whole theory of carving a soap key though wouldn't would... it's too soft. And after having that be such a popular urban legend, I'm sure prisons give the inmates soft soap so it never could wo-- AH!" Pulling the key and pin out carefully as he felt the door jerk and creak lightly, he smiled and got from his knees, brushing off the dust. "You get Abyssinian, Balinese and I will go find Mastermind ne?" 

* * *

Aya's pale violet eyes stayed shut even at Ken's call, his dark lashes fluttering lightly on his pale blood streaked cheeks before falling still once more. Whether he was asleep or just trying to hide the pain from the past few days obvious in his eyes was uncertain, perhaps even to him. He'd been in a nightmare state, always somewhere between a waking hell and a sleeping nightmare. A part of him feared that Weiß coming was just another of Schuldich's lies, and another part of him feared it was true. If it was true.... he didn't want to see their reactions to first seeing him. He could only imagine how he looked. 

Even as the door creaked open an inch he stayed where he was, curled on the dirtied floor in a room that reeked of sex and blood, the smells closed in along with other dirt and grime. The room he had spent three days in, his only way to tell he wasn't fully in hell being the tiny barred window at the top of one of the walls, open to reveal the deep blue skies of the day, the same color of Ken's eyes. Every day he had stared at it, wondering if that was the only way he'd ever be able to see the brunette again. 

His legs were pulled in close to his body to try to hide the long welts that ran over his abdomen and thighs, his entire lithe form streaked in blood crusted over the pale flesh, grease, grime and evidence from Schuldich's 'visits' other than just the bruises and cuts. Aya pulled in slow shallow breaths as he lay on the floor completely naked except for the small shirt curled close against his battered and bruised chest. He looked like hell, to be completely honest. And the devil himself was lying buck naked and asleep with a hard on still in the filthy bed a foot from him. 

The first body Ken saw was Schuldich. "Bombay, Balinese... Mastermind in here." His eyes roamed in the dim light. From the window beamed the bright rays of sunlight onto the dirtied floor. He followed that light to the floor. He noticed a slight movement. "... Aya...." Ignoring his condition, just relieved to see him he went in and dropped to his knees before the male. Ken's hands found his and brought them to his lips, oblivious to the dirt and filth on his perfect hands. Blue met lilac and for the briefest of moments all Ken saw was the male who owned his heart. 

Reality slowly clicked in as Ken fully took in Aya's condition. His eyes darkened menacingly, hatred and anger and rage burning in them. A soft phrase with hate and malice uncharacteristic of the charming youth fell from his lips, "He's going to pay for what he did to you...." His head turned sharply toward the door. "Bombay don't come in here, go find Abyssinian's gear. Balinese come here and give me your trench coat." 

The coat was in Ken's hands even before he finished asking it. "Anything I can..." 

"Help me get Aya into this." 

"Schuldich?" 

"Mine." 

Nodding curtly he aided his teammate in helping their leader into the large trench coat. The soft leather soon covered the battered form of the redhead. Ken sighed and leaned forward to press a light kiss on Aya's forehead brushing the matted and dirty strands of murky crimson hair from the male's face. "Everything is gonna be all right, Aya. I promise. Youji is gonna take you back to the car and Omi is gonna get your stuff okay? Hang in there Aya, please. I... I need you." 

* * *

Resisting the temptation to look in to see their much-missed leader as soon as he heard the slight hiss of hatred fall from Ken's lips, Omi shuddered faintly, shaking his head. The bad ones always die. 'Never forgive the bad ones'. Closing his eyes and putting a hand to his mouth to block out the quick trace of the smell in the room, he cast his eyes to the floor following the footprints in the thick layer of dust in the prison, a path obviously treaded often in the past few days. Following it away from Aya's cell, he came to a room, which Schuldich must have obviously stayed in while not... with Aya. 

Walking in slowly and carefully, he spotted the black-violet trenchcoat, pants, shirt, and katana lying carelessly on a table. Moving into the room he glanced to the side and quickly shut his eyes, seeing a row of whips stained with fresh blood hanging on one wall, along with other... things. They were of the varied sort that Schuldich used on some of his visits with Aya when he was more than a little upset and being none too gentle with his beating or penetration. A slight hiss touched his lips as he grabbed up the usual assassin gear of the katana wielder, repeating over and over the phrase as he made his way back down the dark hallway to Youji. 

* * *

"Don't touch me..." Aya whispered firstly when he slowly opened his eyes, freezing the moment he saw someone beside him. It must have been a lie, Weiß wasn't coming, he was here until he died from starvation or blood loss or until his body just gave out or until Schuldich just got sick of him. He tried to struggle away but froze at the tender kiss to his dirtied hands, the only part on him not bloodied just covered in three days of grime. 

His lip quivered like a reprimanded child's at the hatred burning in Ken's eyes, dropping his head to look away to not see those clear turquoise eyes burning a near white blue with anger. Logic failed him in his state, not connecting up the look with the words meaning Schuldich. All he could remember was Schuldich's cruelly correct-seeming words of Weiß despising him and their bickering over the mic set before Schwarz interrupted the mission. Why had they come? Schuldich said they'd never find him. He shook lightly and his eyes burned, but he hardly had enough fluid in his body to even release a tear. After the two had slipped the jacket around his limp body, receiving no help or struggle from him, he pulled up the strength to wrap his arms about his torso defensively and sunk back to his knees, not able to look into those emerald or aqua eyes. "I'm sorry..." he whispered in a dry low voice while trying to still his shaking, his body shuddering with sobs he couldn't even release. 

"Aya. Don't be sorry. Aya look at me. Please... Aya... Aya... aishiteru, Aya..." Ken's arms lightly wrapped around the redhead's body and pressed sweet kisses along his forehead just hoping that his words would get through to him.

Youji turned immediately at the words and at Ken's pleas. Damnit. He felt like shit for feeling the way he did. Here was Aya his teammate, friend and leader and he was suddenly burning with jealousy over Ken's admission. His fist clenched as did his jaw. He inhaled softly and deeply trying earnestly to fight back the tears which threatened to fall. Twice now he'd lost out on love. Maybe it just wasn't for him. Maybe he was doomed the life of a playboy until that last mission that finally sent him to hell. He sighed softly to himself and stepped away a bit but still there if Ken still needed his assistance with Aya. There was still the matter of Schuldich he knew Ken wanted to deal with personally.

* * *

Outside the cell Omi was studying a set of blue prints, trying to see where the weak points in the prison were. Beside him carefully folded sat Aya's mission gear. In his hand he held a small pen bomb detonator taken from a case with the rest of his explosives he was well trained at using. Surprisingly calm eyes looked over the layout of the building, a pen in hand to circle a few places he picked out to place the larger bombs. After seeing that whip and the other things in that room, he didn't even need to see Aya's condition to know that Schuldich needed to die. 

And this prison.... He looked around and shuddered, not wanting to be in this place any longer than necessary. He wanted it to burn. He felt like a pyro. But he wanted this place to burn like the fires of hell, the hellish torment that man who called himself the devil would feel comfortable having as his grave. He wanted this place to burn with the smoky embers of hell Schuldich had put their leader in for three days. Still he repeated the phrase like a mantra as he picked out the locations quickly and effectively. 

The bad people always die. 

* * *

_Aya... Aya... aishiteru, Aya... _

The words he had heard in his mind when Schuldich had mocked making love to him... the exact same only Ken was right here, his fluid voice smoothing over the most beautiful words he'd ever heard. God if this was a dream he never wanted to wake up. He didn't want to return to the hell Schuldich was delighting in showing him the nine circles of. 

He looked up from the dirty ground and gazed through his matted hair at Ken's deep sky gaze, feeling his lips moisture cool on his dry filthy skin, his arms carefully around him to not hurt him. Lifting his weary arms, he placed them about his waist tentatively and dropped his head to his shoulder heavily, still shaking but not as violently as before. "... Ken..." 

"Aya..." A light smile on Ken's lips as his cheek fell lightly against Aya's hair. "Youji's here. He's gonna take you to the car. And then we're gonna go home and I'm gonna take care of you and make you all better." Tears fell from Ken's eyes as he held the man in his arms. He tried desperately to not let his voice crack as he spoke to Aya, but he failed miserably. "I've just gotta talk to Mastermind for a little while. Tell him what happens when he tries to hurt the people I love. Go with Yotan okay?" 

Wiping his eyes hurriedly he turned to look at Youji who just nodded. The transfer of Aya to Youji was slow and easy taken with delicacy worthy of the flower Aya was truly named for. Aya was lifted carefully into Youji arms. With a worried glance at Ken, the brunette merely nodded to the blonde. Who quickly left with Aya in his arms. 

Ken closed the door to the cell once more and stood there for a minute contemplating what he would do. The German found himself alone with Siberian. He found himself lifted and dropped carelessly on the bed. Finding the handcuffs that had been used on his teammate, Ken made quick work in strapping him down in the bed to lay in all the filth. Blood, dried semen, spittle, and Aya's own waste. Schuldich was about to find out quickly what he'd allowed his teammate to suffer.

His usually warm blue-green eyes glittered with revulsion and loathing as he gazed at the telepath. He stood at the edge of the bed and pulled a .22 from where it had been hitched into the back waistband of his jeans unbeknownst to his teammates who were thankfully out of the building. It was firmly leveled on the telepath. He looked at him carefully for any signs of wakefulness, but none were forthcoming.

"Mastermind. Wake up."

Nothing from the bed.

"I said. Wake the fuck up!"

Still nothing.

"Okay so we do this the fun way." Ken dropped the gun down slightly and pulled the trigger. Suddenly where Schuldich's proud column of rigid male flesh once stood fully erect, now there was nothing but a bloody stump. 

Emerald green eyes shot open as a high-pitched scream filled the room. A shot of blurred from the sleeping gas telepathy shot out to all the nearby minds of Weiß giving them a brief feeling of the pain he was in until even that was impossible from the blood loss. 

_//Guten tag(8*), Siberian...// He reached out to get a weak hold on Ken's mind even as he started to quite painfully bleed to death. _//Come here often?//_ As he continued to grin even while his eyes showed every bit of pain he was in, he made the mistake of glancing down at himself in disbelief that a certain important part was missing. _//...//_ _

Ken smiled cheerily at the German. The gun was still pointed at the telepath. "That was for what you did to Aya. If you live, which I highly doubt, you won't be able to do that again." The brunette began to pace at the foot of the bed keeping the gun trained on him. "Do you know what my favorite movie is Mastermind? Princess Bride. True the heroine was Buttercup but we both know it was an orchid you tried to ruin here. You know what my favorite part was? The 'to the pain' part. Let's see. How did that start again? Oh. That's right. Hands below the wrist and feet below the ankles. Hrm. I don't have a sword though." Shrugging lightly four gunshots were heard, one going into each extremity. "Should I go on or do you have something to say?"

Schuldich jerked and let out another scream as each bullet entered him at the wrists and ankles, nearly taking off his hands and feet. More blood soaked into the already disgusting bed but he still kept his grin. Somehow. _//Tried nothing, Katzchen. I'll be watching from hell the first time you ever try to touch him. Do you think he'll readily tell everything I did to him? Ever be able to get past that? Every single time you touch him he'll be reminded of the things I did. He is mine, miene Hure, Siberian. I took something from him and even you with all your good intentions can't ever give it back. Is hurting me close to how I hurt him making you feel better, Katzchen? Because it sure as hell isn't making him feel better. Right now he's hearing in his head every single scream I issue. I've been linked up with him for three days... in many ways... It's not a connection I am willing to let go of so easily.// _

Taking in a shallow breath as the blood continued to leave his body, leaving his skin a deathly white pallor. The hum in Ken's mind weakened and blurred but still stayed there, a mere whisper into his mind. _//I don't.... think you're going to get to the pain part, Katzchen.// His eyes fell shut but he still continued to breath shallowly, his body shuddering in light convulsions. _

_//Do you know what my name means? My name... means guilty... Wenn man vom Teufel spricht, dann ist er nicht weit.(9*)// _

His rage turned up a notch at Schuldich's words but he ignored them or tried to. He refused to give the German further acknowledgement of his deeds. He was too determined on his path.

Ken stepped up on the foot of the bed ignoring the filth under his feet and suddenly dropped himself to sit on the telepath's stomach reloading another five shots into the revolver type .22 caliber pistol that their leader always carried. "Next was tongue, then the left and right eye correct? Well seeing as you don't use your tongue much..." The barrel of the gun was shoved violently into the redhead's mouth. He didn't even bother trying to pry open the man's jaw. Anger fueled his strength as he ripped passed lips and teeth shattering them to press the mouth of the gun against Schuldich's tongue. "You're talking to a man who simply doesn't care anymore Mastermind. When you raped him, you raped me and stole from me everything good and pure about myself. You take with you the satisfaction that you made me into you. Only... difference is..."

The report of the gun was suddenly heard once again as Ken pulled the trigger. Blood sprayed everywhere over his hand and face and clothes. Ken wasn't through yet, unfortunately. The gun was removed from the bloodied cavity, and pressed against the left eye of the German and once again the trigger was pulled. It then found its bloodied mouth on the right eye and discharged again.

He stood from his 'seat' and fired once shot at his heart, another into the center of what remained of his forehead. The last and final bullet was fired into the bed itself. He leapt off the bed and put the bloody pistol back into his jeans. Turning to look at the bed he grinned, his eyes gleaming maniacally. "The only difference between us is... you're dead."

Walking over to the German he protracted his Bugnuk and sliced off a finger. Dipping it into the ocean of crimson covering the dead body he wrote a little poem for whoever found him to read.

_'Little Mastermind lay on the bed.  
'Little Siberian shot him quite dead.  
'All of Schwarz's mind games.  
'And all of SZ's lies.  
'Couldn't put Mastermind back together again.'_

He grinned pleased with his little reworking of 'Humpty Dumpty' and walked out of the prison to wait for Omi.

"Ken-kun?" the younger boy said as he saw the older assassin walk out of the cell, his clothing and exposed skin coated in blood and filth. Moving over to him after placing a final small explosive on a support beam, he looked him up and down and handed over the detonator to Ken. "Youji-kun and Aya-kun are already in the car. I was able to find the control room and open the main gate so we could all get out. I have bombs all over this place to completely level it." Slight anger flashed through the boy's innocent eyes as he gazed towards the cell, the door thankfully closed. "Mastermind...?" 

"Dead." Ken shrugged as if it were every day he brutally and animalistically killed another man and enjoyed every torturous minute of it. Wiping the blood from his face, he only managed to smear it further. Sea green eyes met innocent blue eyes. He noticed the anger and hate in the boy's eyes. He was glad Schuldich hadn't seen that. He would have lapped up the boy's anger and lashed onto it twisting it until he'd broken the boy. He resisted the urge to hug Omi to him but decided that he didn't want any of Schuldich's blood near the youth. It was bad enough he had to be here seeing what he did. Another thing to be coated as Ken was from head to toe in that evil and feel it seeping into his pores like an acid eating away at his humanity.

Nodding to the boy he ushered him out of the prison. Seeing the familiar Roadster and Aya sitting in the backseat he breathed a sigh of relief. The brunette climbed into the backseat and curled the redhead into his arms as he lay horizontally in the back seat. He let his teammate rest his head on his chest. Aya seemed to counteract the burning he felt from Schuldich's blood covering him. He held the male gently in his arms being ever careful as he touched him lightly. He felt the car start and roll away. Once they were a safe distance out he pressed the detonator on the explosives and listened to the building and Schuldich burn and crumble descending into hell where he and that place belonged.

* * *

"It seems that Mastermind is dead, Crawford," Nagi said as he looked out the window of the BMW they were in, sitting atop a hill overlooking the compound as the fires of the explosive moved through the building, indeed leveling as Omi had set it to do. The white Roadster sped off in the different direction but still the car holding the remaining three members of SZ sat with the engine off, just watching the building burn to the ground, the mid day sunlight scorching the black roof of the car. 

His small hand touched lightly on the window, a tiny bit of sadness in his otherwise flat voice. The bright flames glinted in his midnight blue gaze until he turned it away to look at the front seat where Crawford and Farfarello sat. 

"SZ will find us another telepath," Crawford said in a short hiss. They had watched Weiß enter the building and come out in pairs, the blonde carrying the redhead they were supposed to have interrogated and killed. Sighing the American slid his glasses back on and opened his eyes. This was not how things were supposed to have gone. 

"Hopefully one with a bit more sense this time." 

"Should we follow the kittens?" Farfarello said, poking his blade lightly on the car window as he eyed the white car racing along a curving road below, leaving the burning building behind. 

"No. Now it would not be wise to approach them now." Reaching his hand back, the dark haired man turned the key in the ignition, pulling from the gravel edge of the road. "Though we are both one member down..." he twitched lightly at his own mention of Schuldich being dead, "...things would not be fortunate for us to approach them now. Another time... They will not escape us next time." 

* * *

As Youji had carried him to the car, Aya had whimpered softly, hearing the screaming start in his mind as Ken let the first shot ring out. Pulling the trench coat tighter about his naked and dirty form, the redhead had pressed his face into the man's chest weakly to try to hide his welling tears at the screams, so similar to the cries of passion and the cries of pain Schuldich had torn from Aya for three days. As he pressed close he inhaled the scent of the Montclair cigarettes Youji continually smoked. 

Sighing faintly as he put him down on the backseat, he curled up into a tight ball, using the long coat as a blanket, the assassin's gear still having the heady smell. It was an aroma he never thought he would enjoy being surrounded in but it was familiar and comforting, far better as well than what he'd been surrounded by for three days. 

As he felt Ken pull him close and the car started, he stayed curled in his tight defensive fetal position, never fighting Ken's soft touches but never returning them either. He continued to shiver even with his head resting comfortably on Ken's chest, hearing the slow steady rhythm of his heartbeat under his ear. A tiny sigh passed over his cracked lips... just resting on Ken's chest and snuggling was something he'd never done even with all the months he'd gone to his bed, never holding the man after having his way with him. That was something that was associated with lovers... not a man who deserved no love. 

Hearing the heartbeat and smelling the traces of cigarette smoke, Aya started to relax and fall to sleep before his eyes popped wide open. Ken. Youji. Omi. Where was Omi. Struggling to try to sit up while still holding tight to the jacket covering his battered weakened form, Aya whipped his head in a slight panic, not seeing the slight form of Omi in the passenger seat. 

"Omi... where's Omi... Omi! We have to go back! We can't... can't leave him with him! Give me back to him just... not Omi!" His voice was strained and panicked as he looked down at Ken. Before blinking as he felt a small hand touch on his leg. 

"Oi, Aya-kun, I'm right here. We're all safe. No one's... with him anymore. No one will be with him ever again." Meeting his bright sapphire gaze to those tortured and still beautiful violet eyes, wide and pale in shock, Omi gave him his best bright genki bishonen, incredibly pleased to see him again despite his condition. Digging in one of his pockets, he pulled out a partly squished brownie still in its cellophane that Youji and Ken had snuck to him in the hospital. "Here! These always make me feel better!" 

Ken took the brownie from the boy and smiled. "When you're more up for it, Aya you can have the brownie. Nothing but Gatorade and broth until you feel better. As soon as we get back home it's straight to a shower with you." Pressing soft kisses to the crusty mat of red hair he sighed. "I'll stay with you in there and bathe you and when you're all clean we can sit in a nice hot tub and you can fall asleep on me if you like... Just let me take care of you, Aya. I need to." 

Youji was silent as he continued to drive quickly back home. It had been a terrifying thing to hold their proud leader in his arms. Frail, battered, broken. If Ken hadn't killed Schuldich, Youji would have. The fact that Ken was covered in blood didn't phase him what did was that look of death in his eyes as if Ken had felt everything their teammate had gone though. That had been the scary part. He knew they both had a long road of healing toward them, and from the looks Ken was giving the redhead. Ken had enough love in him for both of them. He only hoped that for Ken's sake it would indeed be enough. 

(8*) Good morning   
(9*) Talk of the devil and he is bound to appear


	5. Sleeping Orchids : Chapter Five : Angel

Sleeping Orchids  
Chapter Five : Angel

* * *

The drive back to Koneko was quiet after Aya's outburst, no one really knowing what to say. If there was anything they could say. The beaten redhead drifted in and out of sleep still in Ken's arms, never really responding to Ken's words. He didn't deserve his care... A part of him wanted it though, but how could he selfishly take it or stand to let anyone really see him in this condition? There was far from any other choice though... he could barely get up the strength to lift his head let alone take care of himself. If he could have found his katana and had the strength to bury it into his own heart to get rid of the shame and the pain that nearly numbed his body, he would have. Repeatedly. 

He slowly awoke as they pulled into the garage of the flower shoppe, hearing the engine of the Roadster cut and fade. Home... where he felt safe... but they also knew where their home was. A pained sigh crossed over his lips as he felt himself moved and pulled up into Ken's strong arms, his own body weak and limp like a rag doll. The soft parting words between the three barely registered, his mind still in a state of shock. Pulling closer with one arm wrapping about the brunette's neck, he kept his other still on the jacket, holding it around him as he let Ken carry him to bed. 

The younger assassin walked carefully into Aya's apartment taking care to lock the door behind him. He'd given his Bugnuk to Youji as they exited the car to drop them in the bucket of solution he usually dumped them in after a mission to start the arduous cleaning process that usually took most of the night.

Tonight was different though. He had other things to tend to than the gore covered Bugnuk. He had Aya to take care of.

Carefully Ken stepped into the bathroom and into the tub. "Cover your face a minute. I'm going to turn on the water." Managing as best as he could with the redhead in his arms, Ken turned on the faucets and adjusted the temperature. It was hotter than he would have liked it but the icy chill over Aya's skin demanded it. For a while he simply stood in the steaming stream of water cradling Aya in his arms. Aya still dressed in Youji's trench coat and himself in his full gear shoes and all. He didn't care in the least he was utterly ruining the two jackets. Yotan would understand. Aya was more important... to him anyway.

While they showered he'd asked Omi to prepare Aya some chicken broth and bring up his Gatorade from the fridge in his room. Hopefully they'd be waiting out in the hall when they got out of the shower.

Sighing softly he looked down at Aya's grimy face, watching the rivulets of water cut through the dirt and slime and god knew what else on his face. "Aya. I'm gonna bathe you in a few minutes. Do you think you can manage to stand or do you want me to sit you down. I'm gonna have to get this coat off you to do it though... " 

Aya's eyes stayed closed as the water poured over him, still shivering despite the heated water. It was hot like that damned German's touch on his skin, revolting and making him want to vomit with every touch, the scalding burn of his hands making him sick to his stomach. Trying desperately to shake the thoughts away, telling himself he was with Weiß again, with Ken... not with Schuldich... 

Opening his eyes again he tilted his head, staring into those deep oceany eyes. Ones he never seemed to pay attention to in moments of passion, only going to Ken's room for his own sake to get off. But sometime somewhere it had turned into more and he never even realized until he was denied it and offered something else. The same thing he offered Ken?

"... Stand... Why... why are you doing this.... Ken. I often bandage my own wounds after... missions. I don't expect you to..." His hands clung tighter to the jacket with the white cross on the back, the garment having become like a safety blanket to him. His head shook furiously as he remembered the many times Schuldich had struck him, bit him, whipped him, kicked him... he didn't even want to see his own bruised and broken skin, once a pure white like snow now he didn't even dare guess. If he didn't want to see it, how could he bear anyone else seeing what Schuldich had done to him? As he shook his head, he didn't even notice the tears that cut down his cheeks in bitterly clean trails. 

"Aya... Let me help you this once. It doesn't matter what he did or what you look like right now. Wounds heal and I'll still love you." The redhead was placed gently on his feet as Ken's arm wound itself lightly around the male's waist and his other came to rest on his pale forehead to push the soaked strands of hair from his face. "Let me take care of you Aya. The way I've wanted to. The way I did after our first 'meeting' at the Koneko. I bandaged every one of your cuts and scrapes. This time I'll be nicer about it. Please, Aya. Don't shut me out when I need you the most." 

Taking in a slow breath, Aya nodded head faintly, caught in those deep turquoise eyes. Every time his shame pushed him to look away his eyes always dragged back to those eyes, seeing such warmth and adoration of the filthy male in those depths. Unwrapping his arms from where they were crossed over his torso, he slowly moved his aching arms to pull the jacket from himself and lower it down, exposing his bruised and cut skin. As the streams of hot water hit the wounds he cried out softly, fighting the urge to pull the jacket back and hide it the bit of cover it offered. "Still can't believe... you hit me..." he said in a mere whisper, his eyes sliding shut as he kept it lowered to just below his shoulders. 

An ultra light kiss fluttered lightly onto Aya's cheek. "I need the whole thing off, sweetheart. I'm not gonna hurt you. If you want to you can keep your eyes closed and I'll tell you a story the whole time so you don't get scared of me okay?" 

Ken finally moved his eyes from Aya's face and took in the exposed cuts and bruises and winced. He was suddenly very disappointed he hadn't hurt the German more. Delivered him matching cuts and bruises on the telepath. He wanted to cry and absorb all of Aya's pain onto himself. He took a deep breath and licked his lips. There was a sudden salty flavor there. Angry tears burned his eyes as he looked at the terrified male in front of him. He felt so helpless to do anything to help. He was pulling out everything yet he didn't feel like he was honestly doing any good. He wanted Aya to snap out of it. Yell at him. Insult him. Threaten to kill him if he didn't stop coddling. Some bit of the Aya he'd fallen hopelessly in love with.

Yes he did love Aya still even now, especially now, but he still longed to see Aya back to his old self. He sighed deeply and chuckled lightly. "I hit you cuz you tried to kill me the night before. Just paying ya back. Did the same thing to Yotan. You put up a better fight though. He dropped like a brick. He punches like a girl too. Then anyway."

"I know you won't hurt me..." Aya sighed softly again but opened his eyes. The darkness behind his closed eyelids was too much like the dank room he'd been kept in. Never knowing when Schuldich would come. If he would be tender and persuasive or cruel and absolutely merciless. He never should have cried out the first time Schuldich brought in the whip because that soon became his favorite toy, something that got a reaction from the stoic silent block of ice that let no emotion every touch his face.

"I am not a child who needs a bedtime story..." he said in a whisper even while his voice wavered, seeing the emotion burning behind Ken's eyes, in those tears that kept threatening to fall. Even still he looked at him with such tenderness it made him want to cry... hell he already was. Every tear he wished he could have shed but denied the telepath streamed over his cheeks now, mixing with the water flowing from the showerhead. Trying to keep back a shudder through his entire body, he lowered the jacket all way off and still hung onto it with one hand, his fingers clenching on it tightly. His eyes fell to the shower floor once more, not wanting to see Ken's reaction to his bloodied and weary form, the trails of filth all over him. He has always been the obsessive-compulsive one, liking things neat and in order. If there was a single speck of mud on the shoppe floor he'd snap and point the nearest person to a mop or send glares around to everyone's feet o see who trekked it in if they dared tread on his freshly mopped floor. Now... now he was worse than a helpless child, a dirty broken porcelain doll. 

Ken took a silent deep breath and closed his eyes as he looked up and down Aya's form. "Let's make this a bit more even okay?" Ken's brown leather jacket was tossed outside of the tub, which was followed by his black t-shirt. His shoes and socks came next and finally the orange shirt and his jeans. The gun he'd used to kill the telepath plunked softly on top of the pile of clothes. Ken remained in his boxers wanting to remain as nonthreatening as possible. His hand reached out and pulled the dark trench coat from his hands.

A dark bronze hand crooked and lilted up Aya's face to look at him. Another soft flutter of kisses danced lightly on the pale cheeks as Ken pleaded with his light kisses to open his eyes. "Aya... You're still the most beautiful flower in my eyes. An eternally beautiful and delicate bloom that I'll love and treasure always. Lovely violet and crimson wisteria that's wound itself so tightly about me that I fear trying to cut it loose would kill me." Offering the male a gentle smile he continued, "Let's see if we can wash this dirt off you."

"... you don't have to cut me loose Ken..." he said faintly as he pointed to the mild shower soap with his arms still crossed, a faint blush coloring his cheeks as he heard the compliment from Ken's smooth voice, and from the fact that he suddenly realized what exact scent of shower gel this was. Gentian. His eyes opened slowly at the soft kisses, turning his head slightly after a few, not wanting Ken to dirty his perfect lips with the filth coated over him. His fingers having lost the trench coat to cling to they instead tightened and loosened in a fist on his upper arm. His eyes stayed on Ken's face after his eyelids opened, his face gently tilting into his palm as he smiled so warmly at him. Unfolding an arm from over his pale torso as he let his cheek rest on the soft palm, he reached out slowly with a shaking arm to pick up the shower gel and a poof. 

"The poof might do more harm than good on some of these cuts. Hrm... I wonder if I should get the baby soap from my shower." Ken blushed as the thought was verbalized. He blinked and blushed lightly. "Yes I still use baby soap. I've got sensitive skin." Sighing softly he lowered the redhead gently to the tub floor. "I'm going to go get it. It won't sting as much as yours will."

Darting quickly to his own shower and back, Ken stayed true to his word and returned in less than a minute bringing with him nearly the entire line of Johnson and Johnson's baby bathing products. For the first time in a long time he was glad his apartment was next door to Aya's. "Oookee dokee, back up we go." Smiling softly, Ken squeezed a bit of the pink baby shower gel into his palm and created a soft sweet smelling lather.

His hands rested lightly on Aya's as he began to rub the soothing lather over his face. Rinsing and repeating as necessary he cleaned off Aya's face and slowly moved down to his neck and shoulders. He massaged softly when he could, when he suspected it wouldn't hurt much. As he bathed his teammate he hummed softly. It was rather nice and quite in tune, hinting at a little known talent that Ken Hidaka could actually sing and sing well.

"I always figured you did..." Aya said softly, the soft scent that always surrounded Ken now nearly intoxicating him as the soap rinsed away the filth and encrusted blood from his face and upper torso. He just sighed softly, letting Ken's warm gentle hands do their work, enjoying his gentle touch. The few times Schuldich had touched him he had always been asking for something in return or trying to sooth him into relaxation before delivering a hard unexpected strike to make it hurt more since he was unprepared for it. But Ken asked for nothing in return but somehow Aya felt like he owed him for this, for treating him so kindly when he had shown him nothing of the sort. 

Every time he had ever come to Ken's room in the middle of the night it had been for himself, Schuldich had been correct about that. He seldom had ever spoke, seldom touched Ken very gently, and seldom had Ken ever touched him back, just letting the redhead do whatever he wanted and making no protest when he was finished and left. The only time he had ever held Ken in his arms was afterwards for a few moments when he would be catching his breath but he always abruptly left the warmth of Ken's bed and arms to return to his own. 

He shook his head faintly and just listened to the sound of Ken humming. He'd often heard him humming in the shoppe, usually followed by a scold that he was hardly paying attention to what he was doing, but it had never been this melodious or sweet. "What... do I owe you for this..." he whispered under his breath, down casting his eyes once more, a part of him telling him that like Schuldich Ken would expect something in return for the kindness bestowed on him. There had to be a reason other than that... Ken loved him. How could he love him, the cold selfish one of Weiß who only showed him any type of kindness in the late hours of the night, and not even really then. The brunette deserved someone so much better and though he said otherwise, Aya was hardly beautiful and Ken was the most extraordinary sight he'd ever seen. 

"Owe... me?" Ken suddenly stopped in his gentle washing. "Why would you owe me. I just want to take care of you and make you feel better and help you get over this. If think you have to repay me or that you need to make this up to me... well." He regarded the taller male thoughtfully as he mulled over in his head what to request. "I guess if I wanted anything, it would be... " Once more Ken's finger found Aya's chin and lifted his gaze to his own. "Just to accept the love I want to give you and hopefully some day return it. That's all I really want Aya. For you to love me... genuinely. The same way I love you." Bestowing a bright smile to the redhead, Ken started in on bathing his teammate moving onto his arms next. 

"How... how can you love me... Ken... I fail at being human." His voice cracked as he remembered their bickering over the mic sets before Schwarz arrived, the way he had sharply edged his words to Ken the same way most targets met the sharp edge of his katana. Though he would never again lift his sword to Ken, his iced words were often worse. His arms fidgeted, moving between lying at his sides and crossed over his chest before he finally raised them to help rub the soap over his skin. 

"I don't know. I just do. Don't remember when. Just one day I looked at you and it was like someone turned on a light switch in my head." Shrugging faintly Ken continued his gentle washing, taking extra care with the cuts and scraps along the backs of his arms from the lashings. "And you can't take the things I say in anger out of context. I was angry and you'd hurt my feelings. Nothing new really. I'm kinda used to it. It's pretty much the only thing I know. But I do know you're human and that you can be nice. I've seen you with your sister and with her friends and the way you are with Momoe and the little kids that come to the hospital. 

"You have a lot of warmth in you still. Please tell me he didn't take that from you. Or I swear..." His hand tightened suddenly as his eyes clouded in rage. Blinking suddenly Ken dropped everything and stepped away from Aya and looked away. "I'm sorry. I didn't... god... oh god. I didn't hurt you. God please. It's just. God Aya. I should go and let you finish up your shower... I'll be right outside the door if you need me." Ken stepped away a bit further and slid the shower door open and started to get out.

"I'm sorry Ken... I didn't mean to hurt you, I never mean to... You really don't screw up as much as I make it out to seem..." A shaking hand reached out to Ken, trailing a soapy finger up his upper arm before dropping it back to his side. "Don't-- don't leave, Ken... please. I don't want to be alone..." He bit his already sore lip, trying to fight back the tears that overwhelmed him at random and actually won this time. "I never knew what to think when he left me alone... if he'd come back or when he'd come back or what he'd do... Ken it was so dark there..." 

His eyes softened as they widened in near panic, like a child clinging to their parents after a nightmare even while trying to push them away and handle this on their own, trying to be strong but the nightmare broke all their walls and made them weak. "I'm afraid if I'm alone again..." he looked down and slowly sunk to the shower floor, wrapping his arms about his knees and rocked slowly while the water continued to pour down on him. "He'll take me again..." 

Ken quickly moved to kneel before Aya and rubbed lightly along his arms. "He won't, Aya. He'll never come for you again. He's dead. Very much very dead. I made sure of it. He can't hurt you any more. I'm here to protect you and love you. I'll never leave your side Aya." Sliding next to the curled up form, he gently pushed his legs extending them and squeezed another dollop of soap into his hands and began rubbing the cool sweet smelling substance into his legs. He took the time to not only wash it but massage him lightly easing the tightness. He paused for a moment to step out briefly only to return with his toothbrush covered in a generous mount of paste. 

"I figure you've been itching to do that badly. After I'm done with your legs it's just your back, and then your um... private areas left to wash. I can do your back but... the... um. Only if you want me to." Ken was suddenly blushing as red as Aya's hair trying to both talk to him and avoid looking at the mentioned areas of his body. Sure he knew the feel of Aya's organ embedded deeply inside of him but he'd never actually seen it under good lighting, nor had he ever touched it. His voice wavered a bit and a sheepish smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he looked at Aya finally.

Aya took the toothbrush with a tiny grateful smile, the upturn to his lips fading far too quickly but it had been there. A faint blush touched his cleaned cheeks at Ken's stuttering and he just nodded faintly, still deciding though which of them should clean him... there. His lower anatomy and his hands had been the only places Schuldich hadn't struck, bit his nails into, whipped... the list of ways he'd abused him went on and on in his mind along with images he was fighting to forget but refused to leave. 

He looked up with the toothbrush still in his mouth as Ken glanced over at his face. Turning his head to the side away from him, he spat out the toothpaste, the spit being slightly pink from the blood still in his mouth and the open sores from when he'd bitten hard into his lip time and time again. Though the gentle minty toothpaste stung a bit from the tender inner flesh of his mouth, he would choose the stinging and the minty taste any day over the coppery taste of blood or bitter release of passion from when Schuldich had shoved his hard arousal between his full lips, climaxing from just the wet touch of his mouth with no reciprocation from the redhead. 

"I can get... there... while you get my back..." He flushed a bit but just blamed it on the heat of the water, the steam still filing the shower stall they sat in. Waiting until his legs were cleaned and rinses, he turned to let his back face Ken, the broad expanse streaked in blood and grime with long red welts across the ivory skin hidden beneath the bruises and numerous cuts. "How... bad is it Ken? I don't think I even want to look... I-- lost track of... for awhile I busied my mind and just counted how many times he struck me... almost like counting sheep to fall to slumber but..." He just shook his head and shivered, taking the bottle of soap into his hands to squeeze out a quarter size dollop into his palm, easily more than enough. But he still felt... dirty especially there from the many times Schuldich had touched him, trying to urge him to be aroused. He had to wonder if he had would the German have been gentler on him. 

"It could have been worse." Ken closed his eyes as he took the soap and squeezed a generous amount directly on his back and began to rub it into his skin both to clean and soothe. He bit his lip to keep from screaming at the broken and swollen skin beneath his fingers. His back remained tense to keep from shuddering at the torn texture. He fought for control to not scream in agony at the pain he was feeling in his own back as he imagined them on his form.

He repeated the process twice more along his back extending to the curve of his backside. He let his hands rest lightly along those curves as he once again started humming the soft melody from earlier. As he let the water rinse the last of the soap, he pressed his forehead against the back of Aya's neck. He sighed, "Really, it doesn't look so bad. There's this one here..." He pressed a light kiss to the deepest of the gashes. "And here..." Another kiss on another cut. He continued with the worst of the scrapes kissing along each one as he either hummed or sighed never once ceasing the sound of his voice. "We still need to wash your backside, Aya."

A tiny moan escaped from Aya's lips without him even realizing it, touched by Ken's sentiment and concern though he hardly saw how he deserved it. The feel of the soft kisses over his abused flesh helped to drown out the slight sting of the soap on the deep cuts and tender welts. "Ken..." he uttered faintly as he rose shakily to his feet so the brunette could rinse the rest of him. One hand reached out to press against the wall, helping to keep him standing. Looking over his shoulder, his gaze met with his he noticed clenching his teeth even while talking and humming. "What is it...?" 

"Well you got your front clean... now your um... other side." Ken blushed lightly as he continued the light washing of Aya's back, cleaning what he could of the cuts, getting out any infection that was setting in. Yet with every wince he caused he made sure to plant a kiss over the wound. Sighing softly his hands dropped to the male's hips as his cheek found an unharmed patch of skin on his shoulder to rest against. "Aya... I'm not hurting you am I? And I've got something to confess..."

"No... you're not..." Aya breathed in slowly, his eyes open as he leaned his hand against the tiled wet wall. He flinched when he felt Ken's cheek press against his shoulder, shivering slightly from the touch but he tried desperately to remind himself it was Ken not Schuldich... Ken said he was dead, very dead, and he'd never known the former soccer player to be a liar. "Confess...?" 

A light embarrassed laugh sounded as Ken straightened and stepped back keeping Aya at arms length. "Well... when you said my name like that, it did something to me and well..." The younger male fidgeted slight as he reached for the shampoo bottle and squeezed a bit in his palm before applying it to his teammate's hair. "Let's just say I'm gonna need a cold shower when I finish with yours." He smiled softly. "I tried to keep it innocent, but... you're just so beautiful, Aya. I don't even see the cuts and bruises. You're still... perfect to me."

"I'm far from perfect... Perfection is.. ...impossible." He sucked in a slow breath and turned around, dipping his head to let Ken shampoo his hair more easily. As he dipped his head, he blushed faintly before closing his eyes, getting a glimpse of the outline of Ken's sudden arousal through his wet boxers. "I didn't... ah, your touch is just... nice Ken." He sighed softly and kept his eyelids shut over his violet gaze, unable to explain that it had been kisses and soft caresses he'd imagined the time Schuldich tried to make him enjoy it. Which only had infuriated the German. 

"No, Aya. You're not perfect, but to me, in my personal definition, you fit it. It's defined around you. Despite your faults." Warm hands slid slowly amidst the sudsy silk of wet crimson. Ken sighed softly again enjoying the feel. Tipping Aya's head back he rinsed the shampoo from it all the while resisting the urge to press his lips against the smooth column of Aya's neck. "I like touching you, Aya. I've wanted to for as long as I could remember... and I feel guilty that I'm taking pleasure from doing it now, like I'm no better than... him. It's not your pain that I'm enjoying... it's that... well... that you need me. For a long time I believed that you never needed anyone. That you were invincible and indestructible, but now? I wish it hadn't had to happen like this... you just seem... reachable I guess." Ken puffed out a short frustrated raspberry into the air and scrunched his nose. "Am I making any sense?" 

"Don't say that!" Aya reached out to put his hands on Ken's shoulders, gripping him tightly before dropping his hold, afraid he'd hurt him or afraid he'd be struck for his contradiction and protest. "Don't... say that. You're not like him. If anyone is... I am." 

Ken's hands reached out to Aya clasping them in his. "You're not... like him either. What you... we did was nothing like that." Tilting his head so that he could look into those violet orbs he so often lost himself in, he continued, "Come on. I can kick your ass any day of the week." Smiling widely he went on, "If I didn't want you to bed me... I would have said no and fought you tooth and nail, but I never did. Even though you were rough, and never stayed long after... I did enjoy it. It was, well, what I expected from you. Had you been loving and sweet... I would have been suspicious. Don't feel guilty about what we did. Maybe some day we can... well... you know...." He blushed softly as his lips moved to press lightly to his nose. 

Just nodding faintly, Aya let him lead him from the shower, letting him help him get his weary and sore limbs into the soft terry cloth robe. He did feel a lot better. The scum from the past three days had been washed down the drain... now if only it could be that easy to rinse away every other remnant of those days in that prison cell. Moving over to lay on the bed after pulling on worn cotton sweatpants, the soft material sticking to his partly dried legs, he curled up on the comfortable mattress and just eyed Ken for a few moments. "Why did you never ask me to stay... I would have, had... you asked me. Did you still need your cold shower?" 

"Naw, I think I can manage without one." Ken shrugged lightly as he collected his wet and bloody gear shoving the lot of it save the gun and his t-shirt into the garbage. He wrapped the gun in the shirt and kept it with him. "I just need to go grab some clothes." Noticing a bit blood clinging stubbornly to his hands, he frowned. "Maybe I should shower. I'm still... dirty. I'm gonna grab some clothes from my room and shower in here." 

He returned a minute or so later with clothing thrown over his shoulder and a tray of food. "Room service. We've got chicken broth, soda crackers, and cookies courtesy of Omi-chu. You can eat while I shower or if you want to rest for a bit I can help ya eat when I get done." Placing the tray beside him on the far side of the bed, he dropped another light kiss to Aya's forehead. "I'll leave the door open. If you need me just yell. I'm not leaving your side." 

Aya nodded faintly, noting that he avoided the first question but not certain what to do about it. Maybe avoiding it was just easier than the truth of the answer. He knew Ken wouldn't lie or sugarcoat the answer, maybe it was just too much to deal with right now. That he hadn't wanted him to stay. "I'll be fine..." he whispered and drew himself up into a tight ball on the bed, resting his head on the pillow, staring almost sadly at the open bathroom door. Damn that question wouldn't leave his mind... 

It was a quick shower mostly just to get the traces of blood that needed a good scrubbing to wash them away. Oddly enough though he could still feel it coating his hands and still smell it on him no matter how many times he washed and wiped. "Bastard. Even in death you wont fucking leave me alone..." Suddenly he turned the taps on as hot as they would go not caring if he burned himself just wanting to sear that clinging sensation of the German's blood on his body. He let it beat down on his body until his skin started to scream from the intensity of the heat. He did scream a bit as the cold jets of water suddenly took him by surprise. Stepping from the shower he sighed softly and toweled himself off, suddenly remembering Aya's question. He scrunched his nose at the thought. The truth was so stupid. He scolded himself softly and dressed quickly.

Minutes after disappearing to shower, Ken emerged in a pair of black basketball shorts. The soft shiny type that felt like silk and spandex all at once. He would have put on his shirt had his skin not been so tender from the too hot shower. As it was he looked like he was sporting a very bad sunburn. Looking at the male curled up in the bed he moved over to him and brushed his hair softly from his face, "Aya..." He smiled, "Truth is, by the time I got up the courage to ask you were gone. I'm not so sure of which answer I was scared more of, yes or no. That's all. That's why I never asked you to stay even though I wanted to... very badly."

He glanced over at the untouched food and drink. "You want some help eating, love?"

"I never offered because... that constituted more than I thought we were and I... was afraid you'd... say no... Which is what I deserved." His violet eyes came open slowly from where he'd been napping lightly, letting the drone of the shower lull him to sleep. He'd jerked awake at the sound of Ken's yelp and opened his eyes and closed them once more, thinking he must have just imagined it. His eyes looked slowly over Ken's perfect form, blushing faintly but then he blinked, the moonlight streaming through a window not illuminating his golden skin quite right as it usually did. 

"Ken! What happened...?" Ignoring the food and his own well being for a moment, his hand reached out tentatively to touch on his reddened arm. A shudder went through him as his eyes flashed angrily, paranoia setting in. Schuldich. Schuldich must have somehow harmed him and he hadn't noticed earlier because he'd been so concerned with his own pain. The reason he'd gone through all of that was to try to keep them safe. Omi, Youji, Ken... all three of them. Protecting them in the only way he knew how to, the only bit of concern he could ever show them. Just chilling logic and hard mission orientation, all done in their best interest. "What did he do to you." 

"Nothing... I just had the water too hot and forgot about it. I'm all right. It'll fade it just stings a little. Really, Aya. Mastermind never got a chance to hurt me, or anyone else. Everyone's fine. Just me being my usual baka self." The hand on Ken's arm was quickly transferred to his lips, lightly kissing each digit and the rough skin of his palm and the baby soft back of his hand. His other hand reached over to touch his cheek as he smiled at him. "Really... I'll tell you what Aya... between us what's past is past. Here and now is what's important. So I'm asking you now. Can I stay here with you until you feel better?"

"You're not so baka, Ken..." he whispered under his breath. The hating chill in his eyes slowly melted under Ken's tender gaze, the warm ocean blue eyes bringing the calm he never thought to seek from another. Slightly shaking, he turned his head to shyly kiss the palm now pressed against his cheek, mouthing 'yes' into the sensitive skin. 

Smiling softly, Ken climbed into the bed, suppressing a gasp and wince at his sensitive skin. Luckily the sheets were satin and cool against his skin. He sighed and pulled Aya's back against his chest then suddenly remembered his ordeal, the mental image that seemed to be burned in his memory, he turned the redhead to face him and simply looked at him a warm tender look in his eyes as his hand lay comfortably on his hip. "Aya... you hungry?"

"A little bit...." He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, trying to block out the memory of the supposed nourishment he had to 'eat' over the three days. It didn't matter he was dead now... Opening his eyes once more, he unconsciously pulled closer to Ken on the bed, feeling the warm hand just resting on his hip, asking for nothing, demanding nothing, just... there.

The younger male helped Aya sit up piling all the bed pillows behind him to keep him comfortable. The tray was then pulled to his lap as Ken snuggled up gently against his side. Spooning up a bit of lukewarm broth, the brunette giggled softly and made slow circles with the spoon along with faint propeller noises. "Flight six zero nine requesting permission for landing carrying yummy goodness for Fujimiya Aya." He giggled softly resting his head on the pillow above Aya's shoulders and touched the spoon lightly to his lips.

"..." 

"Come on. Open up. And don't mock the airplane trick. It worked on me until I was ten!" 

"Oh so up until yesterday?" Aya smirked faintly despite himself, reminded all too well of the time he'd gotten the flu and whined like a baby for four straight days and Ken had taken it all in stride, bringing him whatever he wanted. Until he requested exactly two shakes of cinnamon sugar on his toast and the butter be perfectly even over the perfectly cut toast and dammit his orange juice better be freshly squeezed. And why was the rose in the crystal vase on his breakfast tray wilting! Aya... sick... is a scary thing. Run if the flu bug starts going around and he coughs even once. It was almost as if the past three days had never happened... Shrugging faintly, he opened up 'the hangar'. 

"Oh good god. I think we need we need to get the sweaters out. Fujimiya Aya just made a joke. We can now make well hung snowmen in hell." Laughing softly he pressed a kiss to Aya's cheek and continued to spoon feed him the broth occasionally feeding him a cracker or holding the bottle of Gatorade to his lips for him to drink. All in all Ken was utterly pampering the redhead, sneaking in occasional kisses to undamaged skin as he saw it. He sighed softly as he gazed adoringly at Aya's profile, relief flooding over him as some spark of his usual life returning into his violet depths. 

"... Ran da." His voice was quiet and he swallowed the sports drink, nodding slightly for more broth as Ken treated him as most would a precious child with a cold rather than a grown man who'd spent three days in hell. Taking another spoonful of the broth, he lightly pushed the tray away, not wanting to overdo it after not having anything of any substance he cared to remember for three days. "Uh... well hung... snowmen? The snowmen I used to make were never anatomically correct." 

Ken blushed. "Mine were. I think mom just about had a fit when I used her bra to make my snowman a snow wife. I was grounded for two weeks. I was eight at the time and I was bored and when they drove off there was Mr. Snowman with a rather large bulge, Mrs. Snowman with her bra showing, and baby snowman with the snow cap my grandmother gave me, orange with huge odango. Ridiculous really. Bright orange like that sweater of yours. So yeah. I got soooo busted for that and banned from making Mrs. Snowman ever again."

Ken removed the tray and set it on the floor and helped Aya to lie back down. Pulling him to face him on his side so as not to aggravate the wounds on his back, he pressed his own body closer to the taller male. "Finally. I've been dying to call you Ran ever since I heard you tell Sakura. Thank you." He cleared his throat softy and pressed a delicate kiss to Aya's abused lips. "... I love you, Ran..."

"You're so odd..." A tiny half smile touched over his bruised and cut lips as he listened to Ken's endearing story. Even though the man was now nearing twenty and that was twelve years ago, he could still see him doing that. He had a childlike quality, an innocence that no matter how many kills he made with the sharp prongs he had as Siberian would never be ruined. Actually... that little story did explain something. Now he knew why every time the four went to their winter cabin and Aya had stood on the wooden porch, watching the others play in the snow, Ken always had that sweet glow when he dug out a fraying orange hat for the snowman. 

At the soft kiss, he slid his eyes closed slowly, letting the man's warmth flow around him, threatening to melt the chill that had been around him for so long. Keeping the wall of ice from building around himself, sheltering himself from the rest of the world to just hide with his shame. "Ken..." 

At the sound of his name, Ken glanced up into Aya's eyes sighing with a soft smile as the dusty moonlight shone on his face seeming to erase all the bruises and cuts. His fingers brushed lightly at the tendrils about his face and curled about the silky ear tail. He pressed another light kiss against his nose before snuggling deep into the mattress. With tender motions he pulled Aya to lie on top of him. His arms curled with extreme gentleness about his body inviting the redhead to do the same. "Let's go to sleep okay? If you need anything at all, I'm right here. I'll be here for you always, Ran, like I've always been." 

Violet eyes blinked in shy surprise as he was pulled atop the other male, a position he'd been in so many times in more sexual context. With the gentle embrace around him, Aya simply nodded and settled his head into the crook of Ken's shoulder and neck, inhaling the warm sweetness the male always carried about him. His arms delicately wrapped about Ken, letting the constant comfort Ken exuded lull him into a much-needed sleep. Until his eyelids drooped shut, he kept his gaze on Ken's face, just staring at the one he never thought would be so kind to him despite everything he'd done and had done to him. 

"Oyasumi, Ken." 


	6. Sleeping Orchids : Author's Notes

**Author's Notes **

Well that's the end of _Sleeping Orchids_. There is a sequel, _Awakening Gentians_, and you can fine the link here: 

[_Awakening Gentians_][1]

_Awakening Gentians_: Two months have gone by since the rescue of Ran from the old prison where he had his ordeal with Schuldich. A new telepath is sent to join Schwarz's ranks and they go to a hot spring resort to pick him up. After the ordeal with Schuldich, Weiß is sent on a week vacation to rest and get to know one another, and help Ran fully heal from the ordeal. At a... hot spring resort. What happens when the opposing teams meet up? Anyway... a note on the title, _Sleeping Orchids_. Why this title other than that Schuldich continually called Aya 'orchid' for his true name, Ran, meaning orchid? Well when I first started this fic it was supposed to go in a completely different direction. In the manga they show that Schuldich has the power to enter dreams through his telepathy. Well, originally he and Aya were going to be 'dream lovers' but enemies in the waking world. Something happens where they are trapped together and take the relationship to reality then have to decide what to do from then on in reality. (Run off and get married! Or not.)   
So... that explains the 'sleeping' part ne? And 'orchid' because it's an Aya/Ran-centered fic. He's my favorite character to delve into from WK. 

= = = 

Cheers, jeers, comments, flames, money you feel I need because you adore me:   
[Abyssinian@Kritiker.Org][2] (Gal - author - Aya/Ran, Omi, Schuldich [the dead guy!], Nagi, Crawford, the utterly OOC Farfarello but I dun care because he's funny!)   
[Siberian@Kritiker.Org][3] (Ana [chbimun] - co-author - Ken, Youji) 

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   [1]: http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic?action=story-read&storyid=390910
   [2]: mailto:abyssinian@kritiker.org
   [3]: mailto:siberian@kritiker.org



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